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The assault trial of Stefon Diggs began Monday with a prosecutor describing how his private chef was slapped and put in a headlock while lawyers for the former New England Patriots wide receiver insisted he was innocent and that the violent attack never happened.

The four-time Pro Bowl wideout has pleaded not guilty to a felony strangulation charge and a misdemeanor assault and battery charge stemming from the December incident. A jury was selected earlier Monday and received its instructions.

The 33-year-old Diggs declined to speak to reporters as he arrived at Norfolk County District Court in Dedham, a Boston suburb.

Norfolk Assistant District Attorney Drew Virtue said the chef, Mila Adams, would testify how Diggs had entered her bedroom, slapped her and put her in a headlock that made breathing difficult before throwing her on the bed.

“It’s your job to determine what happened on Dec. 2,” Virtue told the jury in his opening statement.

Diggs’ attorney, Andrew Kettlewell, insisted that his client did nothing wrong and that he never attacked his chef. Kettlewell said that no one in the house at the time of the alleged attack saw or heard anything out of the ordinary and there was no evidence of the attack. There are no medical records nor photos or video documenting the attack.

“The assault that the Commonwealth described in their opening statement never happened. It did not happen,” Kettlewell said.

Instead, Kettlewell described a brewing dispute between Adams and members of Diggs’ entourage that came to a head on Dec. 2 when Adams learned she would not be part of a week-long trip the wideout was taking to Miami. He also alleged that Adams demands for money increased in the weeks after she filed a police report and urged the jury not to be influenced by the fact that Diggs was a rich football player.

“Just like any other person in this country rich or poor, Mr. Diggs sits here an innocent man and any preconceptions or feelings you have about athletes, wealth or anything else has to be put aside and not let interfere with the oath you just took as jurors” Kettlewell said.

Adams took the stand briefly before the trial broke for lunch.

According to court records, the chef told officers that she and Diggs had argued about money he owed her for work. During the Dec. 2 encounter at his home in Dedham, Massachusetts, she said, he “smacked her across the face” and then “tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck,” leaving her feeling short of breath. She told officers she had trouble breathing and felt she could have blacked out.

Diggs signed a three-year, $69 million contract with New England last year and was a key target for quarterback Drake Maye during the Patriots’ AFC East title run. Before joining the Patriots, Diggs was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 2015 and played for the Buffalo Bills before a brief stint with the Houston Texans in 2024.

Diggs’ 1,000-yard season with the Patriots marked the seventh of his career. It helped complete a successful career revival after a season-ending knee injury derailed what turned out to be a one-year stay with the Houston Texans in 2024.

Diggs, who led the team with 85 receptions and 1,013 yards receiving with four touchdowns in his only season with the Patriots, was released by the team in March. Diggs posted a goodbye on social media, thanking the Patriots for the season and saying: “We family forever.”

Diggs has yet to sign with another team.