Stefon Diggs said as the trial began that the attack never happened

DEDHAM, Mass. — Trial for assault Stefon Diggs Monday began with a prosecutor describing how Diggs’ private chef was slapped and headlocked by lawyers for the former. New England Patriots The wide receiver insists he is innocent and that the violent attack never happened.

Four-time Pro Bowl wideout not guilty stemming from a felony strangulation charge and a misdemeanor assault and battery charge December incident. A jury was selected and instructed earlier Monday.

Diggs, 33, declined to speak to reporters as he appeared in Norfolk County District Court in the Boston suburb of Dedham.

Norfolk Assistant District Attorney Drew Virtue said the chef, Mila Adams, will testify how Diggs entered her bedroom, slapped her and put her in a headlock that made it difficult for her to breathe before throwing her on the bed.

“It’s your job to determine what happened on Dec. 2,” Virtue told the jury in her opening statement.

Diggs’ attorney, Andrew Kettlewell, insisted his client did nothing wrong and that he never attacked his chef. Kettlewell said no one in the home saw or heard anything out of the ordinary at the time of the alleged assault and there was no evidence of an assault. There are no medical records or photo or video documentation of the assault.

“The attack that the Commonwealth described in their opening statement never happened. It didn’t happen,” Kettlewell said.

Instead, Kettlewell describes an ongoing conflict between members of Adams and Diggs that came to a head on December 2 when Adams learned he would not be part of a weeklong trip to Miami. He also alleged that his demands for money escalated within weeks of Adams filing a police report and urged the jury not to be swayed by the fact that Diggs was a wealthy football player.

“Like any person in this country, rich or poor, Mr. Diggs is an innocent man here and you need to put aside any preconceived notions or feelings you may have about athletes, wealth or anything else and not let them interfere with the oath you took,” Kettlewell said.

Adams took the stand briefly before the trial broke for lunch.

According to court documents, the chef told officers that he and Diggs had argued about money owed to him for work. During the encounter on December 2 at her home in Dedham, Massachusetts, she said, he “beat her across the face” and then “tried to strangle her by using the crook of her elbow to her throat”. He told officers he had trouble breathing and felt like he might have blacked out.

Diggs signed a three-year, $69 million deal with New England last year and has been a top target for quarterback. Drake is the mother During the Patriots’ AFC East title run. Before joining the Patriots, Diggs was drafted Minnesota Vikings In 2015 and played for Buffalo Bill Before a brief stint with Houston Texans In 2024.

Diggs’ 1,000-yard season with the Patriots marked the seventh of his career. It helped complete a successful career revival after a season-ending knee injury derailed a one-year stay with the Texans in 2024.

Diggs, who led the team with 85 receptions and 1,013 yards with four touchdowns in his only season with the Patriots, was released by the team in March. Diggs posted a farewell on social media, thanking the Patriots for the season, saying: “We’re family forever.”

Diggs has yet to sign with another team.