Stefon Diggs, the New England Patriots wide receiver, has been charged with felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault and battery following an alleged incident at his Massachusetts residence on 2 December.
Court documents filed at Dedham District Court reveal the 32-year-old American football star faces serious criminal accusations involving a woman at his £2 million home in the Boston suburb.
The charges emerged publicly on Tuesday when Diggs appeared remotely before the court alongside his legal representative.
His attorney sought to have the police report sealed, arguing that details of the allegations should remain confidential during proceedings.
New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs has been charged with felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault and battery
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The alleged victim, a female employee who worked for Diggs, reported the incident to police on 16 December, according to the police report obtained by People magazine.
She claimed the footballer slapped and then choked her following a disagreement over money at his property.
Initially, the woman declined to pursue criminal charges against the NFL star.
However, she subsequently changed her position on 23 December, informing authorities that she wished to proceed with pressing charges.
The employee told officers she had resigned from her position on the night of the alleged altercation.
The alleged victim decided to push charges after initially choosing not to
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Diggs has firmly rejected the accusations levelled against him.
His attorney David Meier told People magazine: "They are unsubstantiated, uncorroborated, and were never investigated — because they did not occur."
Meier attributed the allegations to a workplace dispute, stating: "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."
During Tuesday's court hearing, another of Diggs' lawyers, Michael DiStefano, disclosed that settlement negotiations with the alleged victim were ongoing.
"As we speak, they're working to come to an agreement on that," DiStefano informed the court.
The New England Patriots issued a statement expressing their backing for the wide receiver.
The Patriots have revealed they are supporting Stefon Diggs
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"We support Stefon. We will continue to gather information and will cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities and the NFL as necessary," the team declared, adding they would offer no further comment given the ongoing legal proceedings.
The league confirmed it was monitoring the situation and had been in contact with the Patriots organisation.
Diggs is scheduled to appear for arraignment on 23 January, just two days before a potential AFC Championship Game appearance for the playoff-bound Patriots.
The presiding judge is reportedly considering a defence request to postpone the arraignment until March.