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New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs—who shares a baby boy with Cardi B—entered a not guilty plea after being charged with felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault.
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Stefon Diggs is maintaining his innocence.
The New England Patriots wide receiver made an appearance in court in Dedham, Mass., Feb. 13 and entered a not guilty plea after being charged with felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery based on allegations by his former private chef.
"Stefon is completely innocent,” his attorney Mitchell Schuster said in a statement to E! News. “He did not commit any of the acts alleged in the complaint and we are able to prove that.”
Schuster added, “We are confident that after a full review of the facts and evidence surrounding these false allegations, Stefon will be exonerated."
The charges against Diggs—who welcomed a baby boy with rapper Cardi B in November—stem from an accusation by his former personal chef who claimed the incident occurred on Dec. 2.
The chef reported the incident to Dedham police on Dec. 16, according to a copy of the police report obtained by CBS News affiliate WBZ-TV. She told authorities she’d been hired as the NFL player’s personal chef for the NFL season and was staying at a room in his Dedham home. She told investigators the Dec. 2 confrontation was about money, as she expected to be paid weekly but was being paid monthly.
"She said that they began to discuss this, which apparently angered the male," the police report said, via WBZ-TV. "She alleges that the male then smacked her across the face. She said that she tried to push him away. The male then tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck."
Adam Glanzman/Getty Images
Diggs has been ordered to stay away from his accuser during his Feb. 13 court appearance, according to CBS News, and is due back in court for a pre-trial hearing on April 1.
After the initial charges were filed, his lawyer at the time David Meier told E! News in December that Diggs “categorically denies these allegations.”
"They are unsubstantiated, uncorroborated, and were never investigated—because they did not occur,” he continued. “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."
(Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images)
And Diggs’ team, the New England Patriots—with whom he played in the Feb. 8 Super Bowl, ultimately losing to the Seattle Seahawks—stood by their player.
"The New England Patriots are aware of the accusations that have been made regarding Stefon Diggs," the NFL team said in a statement to NBC Sports at the time. "Stefon has informed the organization that he categorically denies the allegations. We support Stefon."
"We will continue to gather information and will cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities and the NFL as necessary," the Patriots' statement continued. "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."
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