Stefon Diggs’ move to the Washington Commanders has created a new argument in a civil lawsuit that began long before he joined the team.
Christopher Griffith, who has accused Diggs of drugging and sexually battering him during a 2023 encounter, is asking the court to move their legal dispute to a courthouse farther from the Commanders’ home stadium in Prince George’s County, Maryland. TMZ reports that Griffith raised concerns about the community from which a future jury could be selected.
His motion points to Commanders season-ticket holders, stadium employees and local fans who could end up among prospective jurors. Griffith argues that some could have a rooting or financial interest in seeing Diggs remain available and in good standing with the team, creating what he describes as a risk that the wide receiver could receive an additional benefit of the doubt.
Diggs has denied Griffith’s underlying sexual-assault allegations, and the judge had not ruled on the request to change where the case will be heard when the new filing became public.
Griffith Says Diggs’ Commanders Role Changes the Jury Question
Griffith’s filing centers on the idea that Diggs is no longer simply an NFL player with a national profile. He now plays for the local franchise whose stadium sits in Prince George’s County, the same county Griffith highlights in arguing that local football loyalties could affect the jury pool.
Diggs officially joined Washington in August after spending the 2025 season with New England. The Commanders announced his signing on August 7, bringing the Maryland native back to the region where he played high school and college football. Diggs made his Washington regular-season debut on September 13 against Philadelphia, catching four passes for 55 yards and a touchdown.
Griffith argues that Diggs’ new local prominence could matter when jurors are eventually asked to evaluate two sharply conflicting versions of the events at the center of the lawsuit. His motion warns about the ordinary tendency to give a hometown sports figure the benefit of the doubt when local fans feel invested in that player’s success.
The Lawsuit Started With Diggs Accusing Griffith of Defamation
The current federal case began with a lawsuit filed by Diggs in Maryland state court accusing Griffith of defamation and alleging that he fabricated claims about a May 2023 encounter at Diggs’ Maryland home. Griffith later removed the case to federal court. The federal docket lists Diggs v. Griffith as arriving in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland on November 17, 2025, after removal from the Circuit Court for Montgomery County.
Diggs remains the plaintiff, while Griffith is both the defendant and a counterclaimant. In his counterclaims, Griffith alleges that Diggs gave him something he believes contained an intoxicating substance and later sexually battered him during a May 2023 encounter. Griffith has also alleged that Diggs was involved in arranging a later attack intended to silence him.
Diggs has denied the sexual-assault allegations and called Griffith’s account false. In his original defamation suit, he alleged that Griffith fabricated the story and caused serious reputational harm. Diggs has also denied knowledge of or involvement in the later attack Griffith alleges was connected to him.
Washington Signed Diggs To a One-year Contract
Diggs’ ties to the region are unusually deep even apart from his new team. He grew up in Maryland, played at Our Lady of Good Counsel and then the University of Maryland before beginning his NFL career. The Commanders themselves described his August signing as bringing him back home.
Washington signed Diggs to a one-year contract reportedly worth up to $12 million. His first regular-season game for the team came September 13, when he scored a fourth-quarter touchdown in a 24-22 loss to Philadelphia.