A Massachusetts jury cleared NFL wide receiver Stefon Diggs of all criminal charges Tuesday afternoon, finding him not guilty of felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault in Dedham District Court.
The six-member jury reached their decision after deliberating for an hour and a half.
The charges against the 32-year-old athlete originated from an alleged December 2nd incident at his Dedham residence, located about 20 minutes southwest of Boston. Diggs had entered a not guilty plea in February to both the felony strangulation count and the misdemeanor assault and battery charge.
At the time of the alleged incident, Diggs was playing for the New England Patriots before the team released him in March.
The accuser, Jamila Adams, who worked as Diggs’ live-in personal chef, testified on Monday that the football player struck and choked her during a disagreement about compensation. According to testimony, Adams had been preparing meals for Diggs since July 2025, earning $2,000 weekly.
Throughout the legal proceedings, Diggs maintained he was innocent of all accusations. His legal team argued that the allegations were driven by the monetary disagreement between the two parties. Defense lawyers also claimed Adams was angry about being excluded from a Miami vacation.
During final arguments, defense lawyer Andrew Kettlewell told the court that prosecutors failed to provide “a single shred of credible evidence” proving any assault took place.
Adams’ testimony revealed that she and Diggs had initially developed a friendship and intimate relationship before she began her employment with him in 2025.
If convicted, Diggs could have faced up to five years behind bars for the strangulation charge and two and a half years for the assault count.
The veteran receiver was cut by New England following his first year of a three-year deal worth $63.5 million. He contributed to the Patriots’ Super Bowl run, though they fell to the Seattle Seahawks 29-13 in the championship game.
Last season, Diggs recorded 85 receptions for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns across 17 regular season games, marking his seventh career 1,000-yard receiving season. However, his playoff performance was more limited, totaling 110 yards and one touchdown on 14 catches over four postseason contests.
The receiver earned Pro Bowl honors four times during his tenure with the Buffalo Bills from 2020 through 2023.
Before joining Buffalo, Diggs spent five seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. He also had a stint with the Houston Texans in 2024 prior to signing with New England. Over his career, he has accumulated 942 receptions for 11,504 yards and 74 touchdowns in 161 games, starting 153 of them.
