The New England Patriots received a shock before their final regular season game, as they prepared for their return to the playoffs after a three-year absence, when news reports revealed that four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs was facing serious criminal charges.
A former personal chef for Diggs accused the Patriots star of assaulting her over a dispute regarding her pay. Diggs, according to reports, was subsequently charged with “felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery charges” relating to an alleged incident between Diggs and the chef on Tuesday, Dec. 2.
Diggs has flatly denied the allegations.
The Patriots receiver was originally set to be arraigned on the charges on Jan. 23, which would be shortly before the AFC Championship game, which would involve the Patriots if they win their playoff games on Sunday and the following week.
But earlier this week a judge granted a request by lawyers for Diggs to push the arraignment back until Feb. 13, five days after the Super Bowl.
The delay did not mean, however, that all was quiet in the Diggs case this week. This time it was Diggsâ current girlfriend and mother of the couple’s two-month-old child, rap superstar Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar â better known by her stage name Cardi B â who injected herself into the controversy with a contentious social media post on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Cardi B Tweet Seen as Direct Attack on Diggs’ Accuser
In the tweet, posted on Monday but since deleted, Cardi B said she had been communicating with the alleged victim directly, even reposting a private text message that she said was from the former Diggs chef.
âNot once has that woman said anything to me about being touched.. NOT ONCE!!” the rapper wrote in the tweet, as quoted by Billboard Magazine. “Mind you, we was talking every single day until she left that house and she JUST wrote me this.â
GettyCardi B performs
The rapper then appeared to address the accuser directly, and with profanity.
âBut Iâm gonna let the courts handle this **** and when it gets handled I want all yall talking **** on your ****** knees with apologies just as loud as the way yall been harassing over a lie.. and I put that on my two-month-old son in the name of the Lord!! Thatâs how confident I am.â
Backlash Against Cardi B Tweet
Other users on the platform had strong reactions to Cardi B’s apparent attempt to insert herself into the case.
“Why did Cardi think itâs okay to confront the victim,” wrote one . “This can come across as intimidation??”
If the tweet was determined to have intimidated the accuser, it could damage Diggs’ defense. The tweet could also be seen as “witness tampering,” and could even result in charges against Cardi B. But those questions remain for lawyers on both sides of the case to address.
Others questioned why the rapper would expect Diggs’ accuser to engage with her, given that the chef is not a celebrity or any type of public figure, and to be targeted by a high-profile star online could encourage harassment or other threats against her.
Cardi B has not said publicly why she chose to delete the tweet.
Top Lawyer Clarifies ‘Strangulation’ Charge
Of the serious though as yet unproven charges against Diggs, the most shocking may be the accusation of “strangulation,” which conjured up horrifying images. But on Tuesday, a top Oakland, Calif., criminal defense attorney clarified what “strangulation” can mean in assault cases.
“In Massachusetts, prosecutors can charge strangulation as a specific offense based on the allegation that pressure was applied to the neck or throat in a way that interfered with breathing or blood flow. They typically do not have to prove someone lost consciousness or had obvious injuries for the case to be filed,” said attorney Jo-Anna Nieves in a social media video.
“Lawmakers treat it seriously because the potential risk can be high even when there are no visible marks. And right now, the key point is this, charges are not proof,” Nieves continued. “The prosecution still has to prove every element beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Diggs is set to take the field Sunday night when the Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers in their first-round playoff game.
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