New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs addressed the allegations that he strangled and assaulted his live-in private chef over a financial dispute. "It's been a couple days. I usually get to talk to y'all on Wednesday, but obviously it's a different time. An emotional time," Diggs, 32, told reporters on Friday, January 2. "Taken aback by some things that's been going on. But I want to be here to say sorry I wasn't available for those couple days. It's a different kind of time." Diggs said he was still "dealing with everything," but did not address the specific allegations head-on. "It's definitely an open case, so I can't even say anything about it," he continued. "I will be open to any football questions, anything you want to know. I don't want to be rude or disruptive in any way. If anybody asks me a question pertaining to [the allegations], I'm obviously just going to give you a look. Y'all kind of know me at this point." Alleged Text Messages Surface Between Patriots' Stefon Diggs and His Accuser News broke on Tuesday, December 30, that Diggs had been charged with felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery over an alleged incident at his home on December 2. Diggs' personal chef alleged he strangled her and threw her onto her bed after she confronted him about claims of unpaid wages. The Patriots star was a full participant at practice on Friday and is expected to play in New England's regular season finale against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, January 4. Marc Piasecki/Getty Images for Balenciaga "Regarding football, I'm going to continue to be the guy I've been," Diggs said on Friday. "Trying to finish the season strong. It's a good team on the other side of the road. Going in with the right mindset, I'm going to keep the same mindset. I've been a leader on this team. I've been the same person this whole time. Don't expect no changes from me." Diggs, who welcomed a baby boy with girlfriend Cardi B in November, said off-the-field distractions have "kind of been a thing throughout the year." (That same month, a paternity test found that the NFL player is also the father of a baby girl with model Aileen Lopera.) "We all deal with life stuff, family stuff," Diggs said. "It's the worldly stuff. Being a football team is hard. You band together, you lean on your brothers, you lean on your people that you spend the most time with." He added, "I just got to roll with the punches, trying to stay as positive as I can. It's definitely something you always got to adjust to. But I'm built for whatever." Diggs has been the beneficiary of support from many within the Patriots organization, including head coach Mike Vrabel. "I would say not disappointing at all. These are allegations," Vrabel, 50, told reporters on Wednesday, December 31, when asked about the charges against Diggs. "We've made a statement. We've taken the allegations very seriously," Vrabel added. "What comes of that I think then we'll have another discussion. But I don't think we have to jump to any sort of conclusions right now and let the process take its toll." Patriots quarterback Drake Maye also responded to the allegations against Diggs on Wednesday, saying, "Stef, man, he means a lot to this team." Is Cardi B Referenced in Boyfriend Stefon Diggs' Police Report? An Explainer "He's breaking the huddle down before practice today," Maye, 23, added. "He's chirping at me on the sideline to give him the rock. He's pumping up the young guys when they make big plays. He's blocking downfield. He gives off the persona of one of those guys that you just want to be teammates with." In a statement to Us Weekly on Tuesday, Diggs' attorney, David Meier, said the football star "categorically denies these allegations." "They are unsubstantiated, uncorroborated and were never investigated - because they did not occur," Meier wrote. "The timing and motivation for making the allegations is crystal clear: They are the direct result of an employee-employer financial dispute that was not resolved to the employee's satisfaction. Stefon looks forward to establishing the truth in a court of law." Diggs is currently scheduled to be arraigned on January 23, two days before the AFC Championship game.