The New England Patriots have issued a response to a series of “serious” criminal charges facing star wide receiver Stefon Diggs. The charges were reported earlier by Heavy.com.
They include felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery charges stemming from an incident on Tuesday, December 2, according to court documents cited by Heavy.com reporter Sophie Weller.
Diggs since at least November has been involved in a civil legal dispute with Christopher Blake Griffith, described in media reports as a social media influencer, over allegations of “sexual battery, drugging, and coordinating a violent attack,” according to a report by Lawyer Monthly.
Whether the criminal charges reported on Tuesday are related to the civil dispute remains unclear.
Complicated Civil Case
Diggs in October filed a libel lawsuit against Griffith after the influencer stated his allegations in an Instagram post, according to a TMZ Sports report.
“Diggs says he, along with Griffith and other influencers, hit up a local club after a charity basketball game in Washington, D.C., before later returning to Stefon’s home,” TMZ Sports reported at the time. “The Pats receiver says he then went to his bedroom, while his assistant asked Griffith to leave, capping a fairly mundane night.”
But about two years later, according to Diggs’ libel suit obtained by TMZ Sports, Griffith posted allegations online that Diggs condemned as completely false. They included claims that Diggs allegedly “‘drugged and sexually assaulted’ him, before conspiring to have him killed to ‘suppress his gay/bisexual secrets from becoming exposed,’” according to the TMZ Sports account.
In November, Griffith filed a counterclaim against the Patriots wide receiver, accusing Diggs of sexual battery, physical assault, and participating in a conspiracy to harm him, Lawyer Monthly reported.
Previous Lawsuits By and Against Diggs
The Griffith case was not the first civil allegation of assault against Diggs, however. In another complicated case, Diggs in February sued reality TV personality Mia Jones, a.k.a. Mulan Hernandez, claiming that he was the victim of an extortion attempt, according to a report by The Houston Chronicle.
“The suit alleges that Diggs was punched in the chest by Jones, threatened with a deadly weapon, and is the victim of a tale of abuse to extort millions of dollars,” the newspaper reported. “Diggs now hopes to seek damages for defendant misconduct and the destruction of his property.”
But in October, Jones/Hernandez countersued Diggs, claiming that on June 7, 2024, Diggs punched her in the back of the head with a closed fist, according to an account of the lawsuit published by Us Weekly. “Hernandez claimed almost immediately after the alleged altercation, Diggs mounted an effort to induce [Hernandez] into signing a non-disclosure agreement so that Diggsâ malicious and egregious act would be kept from the NFL and from public view.”
Patriots Respond to Criminal Charges
Shortly after the new criminal charges became public, the Patriots issued a statement responding to the allegations, as posted by NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport. The statement includes Diggs’ “categorical” denial of the charges.
âThe New England Patriots are aware of the accusations that have been made regarding Stefon Diggs. Stefon has informed the organization that he categorically denies the allegations,â the Patriots said in the statement. âWe support Stefon. We will continue to gather information and will cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities and the NFL as necessary. Out of respect for all parties involved, and given that this is an ongoing legal matter, we will have no further comment at this time.â
According to a report by Frank O’Laughlin of WFXT TV news in Boston, Diggs earlier made an offer to the alleged victim in the case to resolve the issue with a financial settlement.
âAs we speak, theyâre working to come to an agreement on that,â Diggs attorney Michael DiStefano said, as quoted by O’Laughlin.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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