Nfl Star Stefon Diggs Found Not Guilty Of Assaulting Personal Chef

Former New England Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs was found not guilty connected Tuesday of assaulting his individual chef, pursuing a two-day trial and little than 2 hours of assemblage deliberation.

The lawsuit progressive conflicting accounts of an incident astatine his Dedham home, reportedly fueled by disputes complete money and their relationship.

The charges originated from a December 2 incident astatine Diggs’ residence. Jamila Adams, a erstwhile live-in individual cook known arsenic Mila, testified that Diggs slapped and choked her during an argument. He had pleaded not blameworthy to felony strangulation and misdemeanor battle and battery.

Diggs’ attorneys asserted nan alleged battle ne'er happened. They questioned Adams’ credibility, arguing nan conflict stemmed from financial issues aliases narration tensions, including a planned travel to Miami, not a convulsive act.

They pointed to financial demands she made and grounds from friends and labor who said she did not look injured successful nan days aft nan encounter, while prosecutors based on nan lawsuit rests connected her relationship of what happened wrong nan home.

Defense lawyer Andrew Kettlewell told jurors during closing arguments that prosecutors had not presented “a azygous shred of reliable evidence” that an battle occurred. He said Adams made nan accusation to “leverage and humiliate and to punish” Diggs.

“There was nary assault, nary strangulation, nary incident astatine each connected that time aliases immoderate different day,” he said.

Assistant District Attorney Drew Virtue said Adams’ behaviour should beryllium viewed successful nan discourse of her narration pinch Diggs, whom he described arsenic “a sometimes lover, a boss, landlord,” pointing to nan imbalance successful that narration arsenic a facet successful really she responded afterward.

“He was an athlete, a celebrity, financially powerful, surrounded by group that were each connected his payroll that liked him,” Virtue said. “And erstwhile you put that each successful consideration, her behaviour does make sense.”

He urged jurors not to disregard Adams’ grounds because she was not “a cleanable witness.”

“She was argumentative, avoidant, difficult. But does that mean you should propulsion distant everything she said? No,” he said, adding that jurors should springiness her grounds “the attention, nan scrutiny, nan weight it deserves.”

Money vs. motive

Earlier successful nan trial, Adams became affectional connected nan guidelines while describing an alleged brushwood pinch Diggs connected successful which she said he entered her room pursuing an statement complete text.

Adams, who said she lived successful nan NFL star’s location and prepared each of his meals, testified that Diggs “smacked maine pinch an unfastened hand” earlier wrapping his limb astir her cervix and choking her, leaving her struggling to breathe. She described what she called a “complicated” relationship, saying it had antecedently been intersexual but was not astatine nan clip of nan alleged assault.

Adams said she met Diggs successful 2022 connected Instagram and that nan 2 became friends — astatine times “friends pinch benefits,” arsenic 1 of his attorneys described it — earlier she was later hired to unrecorded successful his location and hole his meals during nan shot season.

Defense attorneys pressed Adams astir money she said she was owed aft moving arsenic a live-in chef. She testified she was paid astir $2,000 a week and believed she had not been afloat compensated aft being sent home. They pointed to a $19,000 request and said nan magnitude accrued complete time, pinch her lawyer later seeking $5.5 million.

When asked astir nan $5.5 cardinal claim, Adams said, “I can’t speak connected that,” and astatine different points told jurors, “I don’t understand nan question” and “I don’t cognize really to reply nan question.”

At 1 point, Adams said Diggs had offered her $100,000 to recant her connection to nan police, but that remark was struck from nan grounds aft nan judge called nan attorneys to a sidebar.

At times during her 2nd time connected nan stand, Adams was instructed by nan judge to reply questions straight and not see further specifications beyond what was asked. Portions of her responses were struck from nan grounds arsenic nonresponsive, pinch jurors told to disregard them.

“This is not an opportunity for you to interject your ain communicative and evade answering questions,” Judge Jeanmarie Carroll told her astatine 1 point, informing that continued nonresponsive answers could consequence successful her grounds being stricken.

Witnesses picture accuser’s quality aft alleged attack

Kenneth Ellis, nan Dedham constabulary serviceman who took Adams’ first report, testified that she arrived astatine nan position visibly upset, telling jurors she “sat down connected nan chair and she was crying.” He said Adams initially asked to speak pinch a female serviceman earlier later agreeing to springiness a connection and identifying Diggs arsenic nan personification involved.

Under cross-examination, Ellis said he did not observe visible injuries, cod photographs aliases speak pinch different witnesses, and that his investigation relied mostly connected Adams’ relationship and matter messages she provided.

Defense attorneys besides sought to situation Adams’ relationship done grounds from group successful Diggs’ orbit and grounds they said reflected her demeanor successful nan days aft nan alleged incident.

His main of staff, massage therapist, a caregiver who provided IV treatments and his hairstylist each testified that they saw her astir nan clip of nan onslaught and that she said thing astir being assaulted.

His hairstylist, Xia Charles, testified that she spent clip pinch Adams successful New York successful nan days aft nan alleged incident and did not announcement immoderate injuries. She said Adams appeared normal and that she did not spot marks connected her cervix aliases elsewhere.

Defense attorneys besides showed jurors cellphone videos of Adams socializing, including clips of her successful a car listening to euphony and dancing, which they suggested showed her demeanor successful nan days pursuing nan incident.

Jeanelle Sales, Diggs’ main of staff, who besides goes by “Sunni,” testified she saw Adams astatine nan location connected nan time she alleged she was assaulted and did not spot visible marks, redness aliases swelling connected her cervix aliases face. She said Adams appeared to beryllium successful normal spirits.

“She was stepping astir looking for a portion of insubstantial and a pen to constitute a paper — I guess, constitute a statement to him for his day gift,” Sales said.

Prosecutors pushed backmost connected that testimony, suggesting nan witnesses’ livelihoods were tied to Diggs and that they had a financial liking successful nan result of nan case.