Stefon Diggs, the New England Patriots' star wide receiver, spoke to the media for the first time on Friday since it was revealed he is facing criminal charges stemming from a Dec. 2 incident with a personal chef in Dedham, Massachusetts.

Speaking in the Patriots locker room, Diggs apologized to reporters for being unavailable the past few days and said it's been a "very emotional time." 

"It's definitely an open case so I can't even say anything about it," Diggs said. 

He said he would only be able to answer questions about football. 

"I'm going to continue to be the guy I've been. Try to finish the season strong," Diggs said. "We all deal with life stuff, family stuff ... being a football team is hard. You band together, you lean on your brothers, you lean on your people that you spend the most time with."

Charges against Stefon Diggs 

Diggs is charged with felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery, according to court paperwork. He has denied the allegations through his attorney, and the team said in a statement, "We support Stefon."

According to a Dedham police report, the personal chef said she had been having an ongoing text message exchange with Diggs about money she said he owed her. The woman said she was hired as Diggs' personal chef for the entire football season and was staying in a room at his Massachusetts home.

The woman alleges that there was a confrontation on Dec. 2 over money.

"She said that they began to discuss this, which apparently angered the male," police said in the report. "She alleges that the male then smacked her across the face. She said that she tried to push him away. The male then tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck."  

The woman told police she had trouble breathing. A police report said she didn't take any photographs to document alleged injuries.

Stefon Diggs denies allegations

"Stefon Diggs categorically denies these allegations. They are unsubstantiated, uncorroborated, and were never investigated -- because they did not occur," attorney David Meier said. "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. Stefon looks forward to establishing the truth in a court of law."  

Diggs' arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 23, which would be two days before the AFC Championship Game.

The 13-3 Patriots are set to play the Miami Dolphins in Foxboro on Sunday for their final regular season game before the playoffs, with a chance to claim the top seed in the AFC if they win and the Denver Broncos lose.

Allegations against Christian Barmore

Christian Barmore, a defensive tackle with the Patriots, is also facing domestic assault charges in a separate incident that happened in August. Barmore has been charged with one count of assault and battery on a "family/household member," after allegedly throwing his pregnant girlfriend to the floor, according to a Mansfield Police report. Barmore and the woman share another child together and have been together for three years, the report said. 

The girlfriend said the incident began because the air conditioner was set to 70 degrees instead of 68, as Barmore wanted. Throughout the day, the girlfriend allegedly avoided Barmore "as she knew he was in a bad mood," the report said. Later in the day, while she was on the phone with her mother, Barmore allegedly took the phone and ended the call. The woman explained that she went to the front of the home to call for help when Barmore then allegedly grabbed her and threw her to the floor, and when she attempted to get up, he "grabbed her by the shirt in the area of her neck," the report said. 

The woman eventually got her phone back and called a car service to get a ride to Delaware with their child. The police report said that the girlfriend received bruises after she was "thrown to the floor" and included them in the filing.

Barmore refused to speak to the media about the allegations in the locker room on Friday.

"I'm focused on Miami, playing football," Barmore said.

Attorney David Meier, who is also representing Barmore alongside Diggs, released a statement about the charges on Wednesday.

"We are confident that the evidence will demonstrate that no criminal conduct took place. Based on the facts and the law, we expect that this personal matter will be resolved in the near future and both parties will move forward together." 

Barmore will be arraigned on February 3, 2026.