Ex Patriots’ Star Stefon Diggs Found Not Guilty Of Strangling His Private Chef

by Christian BongiornoMay 6, 2026, 11:38 pm >

Ex-New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills receiver Stefon Diggs was found not guilty Tuesday of assaulting his private chef. Diggs pleaded not guilty in February to a felony strangulation charge and a misdemeanor assault charge from the alleged conflict.

On December 2, 2025, his private chef, Jamila Adams, claimed that Diggs slapped and choked her over a pay dispute. Diggs denied all allegations, and the trial lasted two days.

“We have taken these allegations seriously from day one, and that’s exactly why we were eager for the facts to come to light through the legal process,” said Mitch Schuster, one of his attorneys. The wideout’s attorneys were skeptical regarding Adams’ credibility and the true intent of the dispute.

“The evidence has shown what we’ve maintained from day one: Mr. Diggs was wrongly accused, and this case represents exactly the kind of opportunistic targeting that players can face the moment they step off the field.”

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of sports news in your in-box.
We find the sports news you need to know, so you don't have to.

Adams and Diggs became friends in 2022 after meeting on Instagram before she was hired as his private chef. Adams testified that she was being paid roughly $2,000 per week and believed she wasn’t being compensated enough. Adams also remarked that Diggs offered her $100,000 to recant her statement to police, but that remark was struck from the record.

Dedham, Massachusetts, police officer Kenneth Ellis stated that Adams arrived at the police station, telling the jury that she was sitting down crying on the bench. Ellis said that he didn’t notice any visible injuries, spoke with other witnesses and that his investigation was based on Adams’ account.

Diggs’ hairstylist, Xia Charles, testified that she was in New York with Adams following the incident and didn’t see any injuries. She remarked that she didn’t see marks on Adams’ neck or elsewhere. Jeanelle Sales, Diggs’ chief of staff, testified that she saw Adams at home on the day of the incident in “normal spirits.”

Last season, Diggs played a decent role in New England’s offense; the wideout caught 85 passes for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns. This was his seventh 1,000-yard season in his career, contributing to a career revival after a knee injury cut his tenure with the Houston Texans short.

Diggs is famously known for his role in the “Minneapolis Miracle.”. In the final seconds of the Vikings’ 2018 NFC Divisional Round game, he caught a pass from Case Keenum and evaded Saints safety Marcus Williams for a 61-yard touchdown to secure the win for the Minnesota Vikings.