In an offseason notable for its optimism, considering the team is coming off back-to-back 4-13 seasons, New England Patriots fans were treated to even more cause to feel upbeat about the upcoming season this week.
Patriots training camp opened on Wednesday, and one player was notable not because he was absent, but because he defied expectations by showing up and fully participating in practice. That player was Stefon Diggs, the former Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills All-Pro wide receiver who was New England’s highest-profile free agent signing, with a three-year, $69 million contract.
The catch was, there was a high level of uncertainty surrounding how useful Diggs would actually be to the Patriots. At the time of his signing in March, Diggs was only five months past surgery to repair a torn ACL in his knee. Would he be ready for the season?
Diggs a Pleasant Surprise for Patriots
With training camp opening, Digests now eight months removed from the surgery and he has stunned Patriots observers by not only passing his physical exam, but exhibiting no physical limitations in practice, catching passes from second year quarterback Drake Maye.
But Diggs has also made headlines for non-football reasons this offseason, perhaps most prominently for his apparent romantic relationship with the controversial hip hop star Cardi B.
While Diggs was giving the Patriots a pleasant surprise, his new girlfriend received a surprise of her own this week â a lawsuit by a fan who alleges that the rap icon, whose given name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, assaulted her.
Lawsuit Not So Pleasant For Diggs New GF
The lawsuit stems from an incident that took place almost exactly two years earlier, on July 29, 2023, which was captured on a viral video. In the video, Cardi B is seen violently hurling her microphone into the audience during a performance at Drai’s Beachclub and Nightclub in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The plaintiff in the lawsuit is a woman who traveled from Cleveland, Ohio, to attend the Cardi B performance. Her identity is not given in the court documents due to “mental health issues as a result of the incident” she alleges that she is suffering, and the desire too avoid and “potential backlash,” as reported by USA Today.
‘Jane Doe’ Claims $15K Damages
The plaintiff, named only as “Jane Doe,” is seeking a minimum of $15,000 in damages to compensate her for, the lawsuit says, âphysical pain, emotional distress, reputational damage, embarrassment, and harassment from both media and members of the public,â according to a report by Las Vegas TV station KLAS.
The lawsuit says that during the performance, Cardi B complained of being too hot and asked fans to splash water on her. When some did so, she responded approvingly.
But when “Jane Doe” joined in, splashing the performer with a drink, the “Bodak Yellow” rapper suddenly snapped, flinging her microphone and injuring the fan’s shoulder. “Jane Doe” was then removed from the concert by security personnel.
Criminal Probe of Incident Went Nowhere
A criminal complaint was filed against Cardi B shortly after the incident, alleging assault, but after an investigation, Las Vegas police closed the case due to “insufficient evidence,â adding, âno charges will be filed in relation to this case,â according to the KLAS report.
In a statement issued Friday in response the lawsuit, an attorney for Cardi B, Drew Findling, brushed off the case, saying, “apparently the opportunity to try to make money off of a celebrity was too much for some willing law firm to pass up.â
Whether the person who made the criminal complaint and the “Jane Doe” of the July 21 lawsuit are the same individual remains unclear.
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