NFL star Stefon Diggs walked out of a Massachusetts courtroom a free man on May 5, 2026, after a jury quickly acquitted him on felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault charges. The two-day trial ended in about 90 minutes of deliberation, delivering a not-guilty verdict that ends the immediate criminal threat but leaves plenty of questions swirling in the court of public opinion.
The case exploded online after Diggs’ former live-in personal chef, Jamila “Mila” Adams, accused him of assault during a December 2025 pay dispute at his Dedham home. Adams claimed the argument over wages turned physical on December 2, with Diggs slapping her and putting her in a headlock that made breathing difficult before throwing her on the bed. She waited about two weeks to report it to police.
Inside the Norfolk County District Court, it became a classic credibility battle. Adams was the prosecution’s main witness. Defense attorneys hammered her on the stand, pointing to what they called shifting stories, escalating money demands that reportedly climbed into the millions, deleted text messages, and bank records showing Diggs had actually overpaid her around $2,500 a week against her $2,000 rate.
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Jurors saw video of Adams appearing uninjured, cheerful, dancing, and “goofing around” in the days after the alleged incident. No medical records, photos of injuries, or third-party witnesses to the event were presented. Even the prosecutor acknowledged Adams came across as “argumentative, avoidant, and difficult” during testimony. The judge had to step in multiple times.
After hearing both sides, the six-woman, one-man jury returned not guilty on both felony strangulation/suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery charges. Diggs’ legal team called it a case that “never should have gone to trial,” noting that high-profile athletes often carry a target.
Prosecution leaned almost entirely on Adams’ account of the bedroom confrontation tied to unpaid wages and relationship tensions. Defense countered with financial motive, inconsistencies, overpayments, and post-incident video. Diggs has always maintained the assault never happened.
Simply put, “not guilty” shows the prosecution failed to convince beyond uncertainty. That result leaves room for questions about what truly happened. The jurors did not claim the event absolutely took place. Their decision did not confirm whether Adams spoke falsely when testifying either.
After everything, Adams might still take legal steps. That path asks for less proof than criminal cases needed. Officials have not said she will face any charges. Though let go by the Patriots early that year, Diggs hasn’t signed anywhere since. The league could open doors for him again soon.
Out of nowhere, a money quarrel involving a famous person and a close associate blew up across news channels. What settled it wasn’t outrage or shaky phone videos, just proof put forward in court. Though Diggs walks free from these accusations, tales like this rarely wrap up clean more pages likely coming.
