A trial date has been set in the assault case of former Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs. (AP photo)

Former New England Patriot receiver Stefon Diggs has had a trial date set in his assault case.

Diggs, who was released last month by the Patriots, will have his trial in Dedham (Mass.) District Court on May 4. He is facing several criminal charges, including strangulation, from an alleged altercation with his former private chef late last year.

A pretrial hearing was held Wednesday but Diggs was not required to attend as he was out of state. He was arraigned in February and was in court for that.

According to court records, the chef told Dedham officers she and Diggs argued about money he owed her for her work. During the Dec. 2 encounter at his home, she said, he “smacked her across the face” and then “tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck,” leaving her feeling short of breath. She told officers she had trouble breathing and felt she could have blacked out.

Diggs’ attorney Mitchell Schuster said in February he would be shocked if the case went to trial and has said Diggs “categorically denies these allegations,” calling them unsubstantiated and motivated by a financial dispute. Diggs is charged with one count of felony strangulation or suffocation and one count of misdemeanor assault and battery.

Police said the woman first reported the incident Dec. 16 and initially hesitated to pursue charges before later requesting them, according to court documents.

Diggs had signed a three-year, $69 million contract with New England in the offseason and was a key target for quarterback Drake Maye during the Patriots’ AFC East title run, but his $26.5 million cap hit for the upcoming season helped lead to his release.

Before joining the Patriots, Diggs was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 2015 and played for the Buffalo Bills before a brief stint with the Houston Texans in 2024.

(Material from a past Associated Press story was used in this report.)