Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs pleads not guilty to allegations made against him by a chef.

NFL pro Stefon Diggs has pleaded not guilty in a Massachusetts court to charges of strangulation and assault. The New England Patriots wide receiver is facing charges over an alleged incident in December involving a cook employed in his household.

A few days after the Patriots’ Super Bowl defeat to the Seattle Seahawks, Diggs appeared for a brief hearing in Dedham, where he was released on personal recognizance.

Diggs pleads not guilty

His lawyer, Mitchell Schuster, expressed confidence afterward: “We are confident that after reviewing the facts and evidence in this case, he will be fully exonerated.”

According to police, the woman filed a complaint on December 16. She stated that Diggs had hit her in the face and tried to strangle her “with the crook of his arm around her neck.” The background to this was an argument over payment. The next hearing is scheduled for April 1.