Stefon Diggs pleaded not guilty Friday to felony strangulation charges while his personal life crumbled around him. The New England Patriots wide receiver faced a Massachusetts judge just days after his relationship with Cardi B reportedly fell apart.
The court appearance at Dedham District Court had been delayed until after Super Bowl LX. Diggs lost that game badly to the Seattle Seahawks. His team got crushed 29-13.
The charges stem from a December 2 fight with his personal chef at his Massachusetts home. The woman told cops Diggs “smacked her across the face” and “tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck.”
She said she felt short of breath and started blacking out.
Diggs’ lawyer Mitchell Schuster said his client “categorically denies these allegations.” He called them unsubstantiated and motivated by money disputes.
“I don’t think there will be a deal because I don’t think he is liable or guilty in any way, shape or form,” Schuster told reporters.
The chef waited two weeks before reporting the incident to the police. She initially hesitated to file charges but later decided to move forward with the case.
The court troubles don’t end with the chef case. Diggs faces another lawsuit. A former employee is suing him over a stolen Ferrari from 2024. The man claims Diggs falsely accused him of stealing the car, even though police determined that a third party had taken it.
That lawsuit escalated into violence at a Miami nightclub in December. The plaintiff says people connected to Diggs assaulted him. He suffered a torn ACL, partially torn MCL and facial damage.
Both of Diggs’ brothers, Trevon and Darez, are named as defendants.
But the legal drama isn’t Diggs’ only problem. His relationship with Cardi B appears to be over. The couple unfollowed each other on Instagram right after the Super Bowl loss.
Cardi B may have addressed her relationship with Diggs as she fought back tears during the opening night of her Little Miss Drama Tour on Wednesday in Palm Desert, California.
“I do not want to get emotional,” she told the crowd. “I just want to tell you, don’t let nobody take your happiness away from you.”
The breakup rumors started during Super Bowl weekend. When ESPN asked Cardi for inspiring words for Diggs before the game, she gave a cold response.
“Good luck,” she said before walking away. She also left the stadium early after making an appearance in Bad Bunny’s halftime show.
Diggs is scheduled for a pretrial hearing on April 1 in the chef assault case.
