Jamila Adams, the private chef accusing NFL star Stefon Diggs of assault, avoided answering a question on Tuesday about whether she demanded $5.5 million from him on the eve of the trial. Adams, who claims Diggs struck her in the face and strangled her during a dispute over pay in December, was pressed multiple times by Diggs's defense attorney, Sara Silva, regarding a potential seven-figure payout request three weeks before the trial.
Adams responded, 'That is client-lawyer privilege. I cannot speak on that,' when Silva asked about the alleged financial demand. Silva then questioned whether such a demand fell under attorney-client privilege before repeating the inquiry. At one point, Adams stated that Diggs had offered her $100,000 to recant her police statement, but the judge struck that remark from the record after calling attorneys to a sidebar.
Before the jury entered on the second day of the trial, Judge Jeanmarie Carroll warned Adams about deflecting questions. 'This is not an opportunity for you to interject your own narrative and evade responding to questions the court deems appropriate,' Carroll said. 'If you continue to do so your entire testimony may be stricken. Am I clear?' Adams confirmed she understood.
After Adams's testimony and the prosecution's case concluded, Diggs called his chief of staff, Jeanelle Sales, to testify. Sales, also known as Sunni, stated she saw Adams on the day of the alleged assault and observed no visible marks, redness, or swelling on her neck or face. She described Adams's demeanor as normal. Defense attorneys also presented testimony from Diggs's massage therapist, a nurse who provided IV treatments, and his hairstylist, all of whom saw Adams around the time of the incident and reported she said nothing about an assault. Hairstylist Xia Charles testified that she spent time with Adams in New York days later and noticed no injuries.
Defense attorneys showed jurors cellphone videos of Adams socializing, including clips of her dancing in a car, to suggest her demeanor after the incident was normal. Diggs has pleaded not guilty to a felony strangulation charge and a misdemeanor assault and battery charge. Closing arguments are expected later Tuesday.
Adams met Diggs in 2022 on Instagram, and their relationship became 'friends with benefits,' as described by one attorney, before she was hired to live in his home and prepare meals during the football season. The case hinges on whether the dispute was primarily about money or an alleged assault. Defense attorneys argue Adams was motivated by financial disputes, citing demands for payment and a planned trip to Miami, while Adams maintains she reported an assault.
