Stefon Diggs, former Patriots receiver, found not guilty of assaulting his private chef

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FILE-Former New England Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs walks out of Dedham District Court on May 4, 2026, following the first day of his assault trial. (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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BOSTON - On Tuesday, former New England Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs was found not guilty of assaulting his private chef in a pay dispute.

Diggs, a four-time Pro Bowl hideout, pleaded not guilty in February to a felony strangulation charge and a misdemeanor assault and battery charge stemming from the alleged dispute.

The trial lasted two days and centered on a Dec. 2, 2025 encounter at Diggs' home in Dedham, Massachusetts, where Jamila Adams, a former live-in personal chef who is known as Mila, testified he slapped and choked her during an argument.

RELATED: Patriots' Stefon Diggs charged with felony strangulation, denies allegations

According to the Associated Press, Diggs’ lawyers claimed the alleged assault never happened and questioned Adams’ credibility and whether the dispute was about money, relationship tensions — including a disagreement over a planned trip to Miami — or an alleged assault.

Diggs' focused on financial demands Adams made and testimony from friends and employees who stated she did not appear injured in the days after the encounter, while prosecutors argued the case rests on Adams' account of what happened inside the residence.

Earlier in the trial, Adams became emotional on the stand while describing an alleged encounter with Diggs in which Adams said he entered her room after an argument over text.

Stefon Diggs found not guilty

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Defense attorney Andrew Kettlewell told jurors during closing arguments that prosecutors had not presented "a single shred of credible evidence" that an assault occurred.

Assistant District Attorney Drew Virtue urged jurors to weigh Adams’ testimony carefully and not to disregard it because she was not "a perfect witness."

Stefon Diggs assault case

The backstory:

Jamila Adams, who said she lived in the former New England Patriots' receivers home and prepared all of his meals, accused Diggs of attacking her in December 2025. 

However, Adams refused to answer questions about financial demands made on her behalf, as defense attorneys questioned her over claims she was owed money and inconsistencies in what she said she was paid.

Adams testified that she met Diggs in 2022 on Instagram and that the two became friends before she was later hired to live in his home and prepare his meals during the football season.

On Dec. 2, 2025, Adams alleged that Diggs entered her room after an argument over text. She accused Diggs of smacking her with an open hand before he allegedly wrapped his arm around her neck and choking her, leaving her struggling to breathe. 

Adams described what she called a "complicated" relationship, saying it had previously been sexual but was not at the time of the alleged assault. Diggs ′ attorneys said Adams is lying and the assault never happened.

Kenneth Ellis, the Dedham police officer who filed Adams’ initial report, testified that she arrived at the station upset and was crying. The Associated Press reported that Ellis said Adams first asked to speak with a female officer before later agreeing to give a statement and identifying Diggs as the person involved.

According to the AP, Ellis stated he did not observe visible injuries, collect photographs or speak with other witnesses, and that his probe relied mainly on Adams’ version of events and text messages she provided.

Diggs, established himself as one of the NFL’s best wide receivers during a run with Minnesota and Buffalo from 2018 to 2023, when he had six consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons and was selected to the Pro Bowl four times.

After a lackluster stint in Houston in 2025, Diggs ended up in New England, signing a three-year, $69 million deal in free agency that guaranteed him $26 million.