Jury finds Stefon Diggs not guilty of assault, strangulation

BOSTON — Ex New England Patriots the receiver Stefon Diggs Pleaded not guilty Tuesday to assaulting his personal chef over a pay dispute.

The four-time Pro Bowl wideout pleaded not guilty in February to an aggravated strangulation charge and a misdemeanor assault and battery charge stemming from the alleged dispute.

The trial lasted only two days.

The case centers on a Dec. 2 encounter at Diggs’ home in Dedham, where Jamila Adams, a former live-in personal chef known as Mila, testified that he slapped and choked her during an argument.

Diggs’ attorneys say the alleged assault never happened and question Adams’ credibility and whether the dispute was over money, relationship strain — including a disagreement over a planned trip to Miami — or an alleged assault.

They pointed to financial claims he made and testimony from friends and employees who said he did not appear injured in the days after the encounter, while prosecutors argued the case hinged on what happened inside the home.

Defense attorney Andrew Kettlewell told jurors during closing arguments that prosecutors have not presented “one shred of credible evidence” that an assault took place.

Assistant District Attorney Drew Virtue urged jurors to carefully scrutinize Adams’ testimony and not discount it because he was not a “perfect witness.”

“He was argumentative, evasive, difficult. But does that mean he’s going to throw out everything he said? No,” Virtue said, adding that jurors should give his testimony “the attention, the scrutiny, the weight it deserves.”

At the start of the trial, Adams became emotional on the stand while describing an alleged encounter with Diggs, who she said entered her room after an argument over texts.

Adams, who said she lived at the NFL star’s home and prepared all of his meals, testified that Diggs “hit me with an open hand” before wrapping his arms around her neck and choking her, leaving her struggling to breathe. She described what she called a “complicated” relationship, saying it had been sexual before but not at the time of the alleged assault.

Adams said he met Diggs on Instagram in 2022 and the two became friends — at times “friends with benefits,” as one of his attorneys described it — before later hiring him to live in his home and prepare his meals during football season.

Defense attorneys pressed Adams about money he said he owed after working as a live-in chef. He testified that he was paid about $2,000 a week and that he believed he was not fully compensated after being sent home. They pointed to the $19,000 demand and said the amount increased over time, with his attorney later seeking $5.5 million.

Asked about the $5.5 million claim, Adams said, “I can’t talk about that,” and at other points told jurors, “I don’t understand the question” and “I don’t know how to answer the question.”

At one point, Adams said Diggs offered him $100,000 to recant his statement to police, but that comment was stricken from the record after the judge called the attorneys to a sidebar.

Sometime in his second day on the stand, Adams was instructed by the judge to answer direct questions and not include additional details beyond what was asked. Portions of his responses were marked as non-responsive from the record, the judges were asked to disregard them.

Judge Jeanmarie Carroll told him at one point, “This is not an opportunity for you to interject your own narrative and avoid answering questions,” warning that continued nonresponsive answers could hurt his testimony.

Kenneth Ellis, the Dedham police officer who took the initial report on Adams, testified that he arrived at the station visibly upset, telling jurors that he was “sitting on the bench and he was crying.” He said Adams first asked to speak to a female officer then agreed to give a statement and identified Diggs as the person involved.

Under cross-examination, Ellis said he did not observe visible injuries, collect photographs or speak with other witnesses, and that his investigation relied largely on Adams’ account and the text messages he provided.

Defense attorneys also tried to challenge Adams’ account with testimony and evidence from people in Diggs’ orbit that they said reflected his behavior in the days following the alleged incident.

Her chief of staff, her massage therapist, a nurse who provided IV treatment and her hairstylist all testified that they saw Adams during the alleged assault and said nothing about being assaulted.

Her hairstylist, Zia Charles, testified that she spent time with Adams in New York in the days following the alleged incident and did not notice any injuries. He said Adams looked normal and he did not see marks on Adams’ neck or anywhere else.

Defense attorneys also showed jurors cellphone videos of Adams socializing, including clips of him listening to music and dancing in a car, which they suggested showed his behavior in the days following the incident.

Jeanelle Sales, Diggs’ chief of staff, who also goes by “Sunny,” testified that she saw Adams at home on the day she complained and did not see any visible marks, redness or swelling on her neck or face. He said Adams was in good spirits.

“He was looking for a piece of paper and a pen to write a card — I guess, write him a note for his birthday present,” Sales said.

Prosecutors pushed back on that testimony, suggesting the witnesses’ livelihoods were tied to Diggs and that they had a financial interest in the case’s outcome.

Diggs, who was released by the Patriots in March, signed a three-year, $69 million deal with New England last year and has been a top target at 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 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.