New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs appeared briefly in a Massachusetts courtroom on Friday as he faces assault related charges stemming from an alleged incident last year.
The 31-year-old athlete was scheduled for arraignment in January, but the hearing was delayed and ultimately took place days after the Patriots’ Super Bowl LX loss. During Friday’s appearance, a judge set a pre-trial hearing for April 1.
Diggs remains free on personal recognizance and has been ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim.
Diggs did not address reporters as he exited the courthouse alongside his legal team. His attorney, Mitchell Shuster, strongly denied the accusations.
“He is completely innocent of these false allegations,” Shuster said. “We’re confident that once the facts and evidence are reviewed, he will be fully exonerated.”
#Patriots: Stefon Diggs leaves Norfolk County District court after pleading not guilty to assaulting his personal chef.
— Ryan Medeiros (@RRyanmedeiros) February 13, 2026
He was ordered no contact with the victim and was released on personal recognizance.
His next appearance is scheduled for April 1 (pre-trial hearing). @NBC10 pic.twitter.com/RTZOF5OYNT
Prosecutors allege Diggs assaulted a private chef during a dispute in December 2025. Court documents describe an argument that escalated physically, though Diggs’ defense disputes that account and claims the allegations are motivated by employment-related concerns.
The court granted a defense request for additional text messages from the day of the alleged incident, which the defense says are critical to understanding the full context.
Diggs reportedly split from rapper Cardi B, who is also the mother of his young son.