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New England Patriots star wide receiver Stefon Diggs faces strangulation and other criminal charges in connection with an incident earlier this month, police said.
News of the charges emerged following a court hearing Tuesday in Dedham, Massachusetts. It is unclear what led to the charges, which include strangulation or suffocation and assault and battery.
Diggs' attorney, David Meyer, said in an emailed statement that the player “categorically denies these allegations.”
Meyer said the allegations never happened, calling them unfounded and unsubstantiated.
“The timing and motivation for the charges are clear: they are the direct result of a financial dispute between the employee and employer that was not resolved to the employee’s satisfaction,” Meyer wrote.
In a statement, the Patriots said they also support Diggs: “We stand with Stefon,” the team said.
Diggs, 32, established himself as one of the NFL's top receivers during his time with Minnesota and Buffalo from 2018 to 2023, when he posted six straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons and was selected to the Pro Bowl four times.
After an unsuccessful stint in Houston last year, Diggs found himself in New England, signing a three-year, $69 million free agent contract with the United States that guaranteed him $26 million.
Diggs proved to be a reliable target for sophomore quarterback Drake Maye and was a big reason the team recaptured the AFC East title en route to the playoffs.
Off the field, however, his tenure with the Patriots got off to a rocky start when a video surfaced on social media in May of Diggs handing what appeared to be a bag of pink crystals to women on a boat.
It is unclear what the substance is, and an NFL spokesman said the league would not comment. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said the team will handle the issue on its own.
