- Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs is scheduled for a Feb. 13 arraignment on felony and misdemeanor charges.
- Diggs is accused of choking and assaulting his former personal chef during a December argument.
- Diggs’ attorney stated his client ‘categorically’ denies the ‘unsubstantiated’ allegations.
New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs, accused of choking his personal chef during an argument in early December, is scheduled to be arraigned in a Massachusetts district court on Feb. 13.
Diggs, 32, is scheduled to be arraigned at 9 a.m. ET in Dedham District Court. The 11th-year NFL player is accused of felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault during an alleged Dec. 2, 2025, disagreement. The charges were filed Dec. 29.
USA TODAY and The Enterprise of Brockton, part of the USA TODAY Network, will have coverage of Diggs’ scheduled court appearance. Return for the latest from the hearing.
Stefon Diggs pleads not guilty to strangulation, assault charges
In a brief appearance as the first case heard in the court’s 9 a.m. session, Diggs stood in front of a judge, entering a not guilty plea before being ordered to not have contact with his accuser. A pretrial hearing was set for April 1.
The judge had to ask for quiet and order in the courtroom multiple times after the hearing, as many of the attendees began leaving after Diggs’ appearance.
What Stefon Diggs’ lawyer said after Feb. 13 arraignment
After the arraignment, which took only minutes, Diggs’ attorney Mitchell Schuster outside the courthouse said, ‘He is completely innocent of these false allegations that have been alleged.’
He said when the full facts come out they will ‘paint a very different picture’ but he declined to get into details at this time.
‘I expect Mr. Diggs to be exonerated and I’d be shocked if this case goes to trial,’ Schuster said.
– Amelia Stern
See photos of Stefon Diggs’ arraignment
Diggs set for 9 a.m. ET arraignment, represented by four lawyers
Diggs is among seven people on the court’s docket for its 9 a.m. ET arraignment session. He is listed in court records as being represented by lawyers William Kettlewell, Michael DiStefano, Sara Silva and David Meier.
What are the criminal accusations against Stefon Diggs?
USA TODAY Network acquired the police report in which a woman, Diggs’ former personal chef, accused him of smacking her and placing his hands around her neck following an argument about her compensation at Diggs’ Dedham home. The report was filed Dec. 16 and although the woman initially didn’t press charges, she did a week later.
Diggs’ attorney, David Meier, said that his client ‘categorically’ denied the complaints.
‘They are unsubstantiated, uncorroborated, and were never investigated — because they did not occur,’ Meier said in a statement. ‘The timing and motivation for making the allegations is crystal clear: they are the direct result of an employee-employer financial dispute that was not resolved to the employee’s satisfaction. Stefon looks forward to establishing the truth in a court of law.’
What have the Patriots said about the Diggs strangulation allegations?
The Patriots put out the following statement about Diggs shortly after he was charged:
‘Stefon has informed the organization that he categorically denies the allegations. We support Stefon,’ the statement said. ‘We will continue to gather information and will cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities and the NFL as necessary. Out of respect for all parties involved, and given that this is an ongoing legal matter, we will have no further comment at this time.’
Diggs was originally scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 23, two days after the AFC championship game. A judge moved the arraignment to after the Patriots’ Super Bowl 60 appearance, a 29-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Diggs completed his first year with the Patriots in 2025 after signing a three-year, $69 million contract in the offseason. He was one of second-year quarterback Drake Maye’s top targets in their march to the Super Bowl, finishing the regular season with 1,013 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 85 receptions.
Diggs was limited to 37 receiving yards on three catches in New England’s Super Bowl loss.