Mila Adams took the stand as the first witness in Dedham District Court on the opening day of Stefon Diggs’ criminal trial. Diggs, 32, a four-time Pro Bowl receiver and current NFL free agent, faces charges of felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery stemming from a Dec. 2, 2025, incident at his Dedham home. He has pleaded not guilty and denies the allegations.
Adams, who worked as Diggs’ live-in personal chef during the 2025 NFL season, told jurors the two first connected in December 2022 through Instagram direct messages. Their relationship later became complicated and at times sexual, she testified. In February 2025 — or around July according to earlier police reports — she was hired at $2,000 per week to cook for Diggs as he worked on a comeback with the Patriots. She moved into a bedroom at his Dedham residence to help him “get healthy” and maintain his diet.
Tensions grew over time, Adams said, including friction with another woman in Diggs’ circle named Sydney. Adams described a feud with Sydney — whom she alleged was romantically or closely involved with Diggs — that escalated when Adams was not invited on a trip to Miami while Sydney was included. She testified that Diggs sided against her in the dispute, deepening the rift among household staff. By December, she was engaged in an ongoing text exchange with Diggs about back pay she said he owed her. She had been paid monthly instead of weekly under their original agreement, court records show.
According to Adams’ testimony and the police report she gave on Dec. 16 — 14 days after the alleged assault — the dispute came to a head while she was in her unlocked bedroom. Diggs entered the room angry during the text argument about the money. She said he slapped her across the face. When she pushed him away, he allegedly placed the crook of his elbow around her neck from behind in a headlock, applying pressure that made it hard for her to breathe. She testified she felt she “could have blacked out” and that Diggs tightened his grip when she tried to pry his arm away. He then threw her onto the bed, she said, uttering words to the effect of “Thought so.”
Adams reported redness on her chest but took no photos and sought no medical treatment. She told officers she waited to report the incident out of fear, having witnessed Diggs in a prior altercation with someone else.
Prosecutors called only two witnesses: Adams and the Dedham police officer who interviewed her. In his opening statement, Assistant District Attorney Drew Virtue previewed Adams’ account of her career, how she came to work for Diggs and the events of Dec. 2, including the interpersonal drama with Sydney that she said contributed to the strained environment.
Defense attorney Andrew Kettlewell told jurors in a longer opening that “it never happened.” He said six other people were in Diggs’ home that day and no one heard or saw anything unusual. Kettlewell argued the allegations stemmed from a financial dispute after Adams was fired, that she withheld some text messages from police and that she had motives to fabricate the claims amid the household tensions. Diggs’ legal team has long described the accusations as unsubstantiated and tied to an unresolved employee-employer pay issue.
Diggs, who was released by the Patriots in March, sat quietly through jury selection and openings. A jury of seven — six women and one man — was seated Monday morning in the Dedham District Court. The judge said the trial could last two or three days, with testimony expected to continue Tuesday.
Adams, who has previously described herself as a survivor of domestic violence, issued a public statement earlier this year denying any settlement talks or attempts to damage Diggs’ reputation for personal gain. She said she reported the matter through proper legal channels and would let the process play out.
The case has drawn attention as it pits the testimony of Diggs’ former employee against the defense’s claim of no physical evidence or corroboration, with the added layer of household drama involving Sydney. No verdict has been reached.
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