A federal civil lawsuit in Maryland just got messier. Stefon Diggs, currently unsigned after his release from the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots, is battling Christopher Blake Griffith in court over allegations that have shaken the NFL world. Griffith accuses Diggs of drugging and sexually assaulting him at a Rockville, Maryland home in May 2023. Diggs denies everything. This week, reports of Griffith submitting over 100 pages of digital records set social media ablaze, but the reality behind that filing is far more procedural than explosive.
Why did Griffith submit over 100 pages of messages to the court?
Here is where the narrative online went sideways. Christopher Griffith did not voluntarily drop a digital bombshell to expose Diggs. He submitted those records because Diggs’ legal team asked a judge to compel him to do so.During standard civil discovery, Stefon Diggs’ attorneys flagged that old Instagram direct messages between the two men had not been produced. Diggs claimed he could not retrieve them himself because Griffith had blocked him on the platform. So his lawyers went to the judge, who pushed Griffith to hand over the disputed communications.Griffith’s filing is a direct response to that order. He says he has already provided more than 100 pages of iMessage threads and Instagram conversations, and argues that Diggs already has copies of the same material. Calling this a dramatic plot twist misreads how civil litigation actually works.
What are the bigger legal issues surrounding Stefon Diggs right now?
The messaging dispute is one piece of a much wider legal fight. Griffith’s team is pushing the court to force Diggs to open his financial records. Their argument is straightforward: if Diggs claims the allegations cost him endorsements and income, he cannot keep his finances sealed while chasing damages for defamation. You cannot sue for financial harm and then refuse to show your books.A federal judge sided with Griffith on another key point in June. After Diggs described Griffith only as an “acquaintance,” the judge ordered him to provide a more complete account of their relationship, detail his interactions with Griffith in May 2023, and name others who were present at his Rockville home that month. Diggs was given 14 days to comply or face sanctions. He did get one carve-out: the judge ruled he does not have to answer questions about prior drug possession or distribution.The original lawsuit, filed by Diggs, accused Griffith of defamation and of dragging the NFL, the New England Patriots, and UGG into the dispute by tagging them in social media posts. Griffith countered with the assault allegations and a separate claim that Darez Diggs, Stefon’s brother, and two other men physically attacked him near his Los Angeles home and took his phone to destroy evidence. Darez Diggs later pleaded no contest to felony assault.
Has Stefon Diggs faced any other legal trouble recently?
Yes, though not everything has gone against him. Earlier this year, Stefon Diggs faced criminal assault charges brought by a former personal chef in Massachusetts. A jury acquitted him in May. The defence presented video showing the alleged victim dancing shortly after the supposed incident, and that footage proved persuasive enough to secure the verdict.Back in Maryland, the civil case continues with no ruling yet on the core claims from either side. Nobody outside that courtroom knows what those messages actually say. Until they are unsealed or surface publicly, treating this document dispute as settled proof of anything is a stretch. The lawyers are arguing. The evidence stays hidden.