Jury seated in Stefon Diggs' assault trial

A jury has been seated in the assault trial of former New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs. The seven jurors, comprising six women and one man, were selected at Dedham District Court for a trial that the judge says could last two or three days. Diggs faces charges of felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery. He has pleaded not guilty and denies allegations that he strangled his former private chef during an incident at his Dedham home on December 2, 2025. Prosecutors say the alleged altercation occurred during a dispute over unpaid wages. According to court documents, the woman told police that Diggs struck her in the face, placed her in a chokehold, and threw her onto a bed. Text messages obtained by Boston 25 News appear to show Diggs and the woman arguing over money. During a final pretrial hearing on Friday, defense attorneys objected to the alleged victim referencing a separate prior bad act in court. While details of that alleged incident were not discussed, the defense argued it could be used to explain why the woman delayed reporting the alleged assault for two weeks. The judge sided with the defense, ruling that any reference to a prior bad act would be excluded unless prosecutors provided additional detail or argument. Diggs was not present in court for Friday’s pretrial hearing. The 32-year-old was released by the Patriots in March and is currently a free agent. Prosecutors plan to call two witnesses, the chef and a police officer, while the defense will call people who were inside the house at the time of the alleged assault.