Just after making his NFL debut, Stefon Diggs’ life took another turn that no game plan could have predicted. One year after being drafted, in October 2016, he became the father of Nova, a name that is now well-known to both fans and anyone who has even remotely followed his off-field activities.
Nova has been a constant in Diggs’ life since the beginning. Even in high-stakes contract negotiations or post-game interviews, there’s something very obvious about how she makes him light up. She got into his lap during his 2022 extension meeting with the Buffalo Bills and mockingly said, “Show me the money,” imitating Cuba Gooding Jr. It was one of the few NFL clips that had a truly human feel to it.
| Name | Stefon Diggs |
|---|---|
| Occupation | NFL Wide Receiver (New England Patriots) |
| Children | Nova (b. 2016), Charliee Harper (b. April 2025), Son with Cardi B (b. Nov 2025) |
| Notable Partners | Cardi B (current), Aileen Lopera (previous) |
| Legal Matter | Denies 2025 felony charges, court appearance scheduled for Feb 13, 2026 |
| Super Bowl Status | Competing in the 2026 Super Bowl |
| Reference |
Nova has become more and more frequent at team events and games over the last few years. In an unguarded moment between father and daughter that subtly softerened his gridiron persona, Diggs lifted her from the crowd and allowed her to run freely across the field in a viral video that the Bills shared. She has been practicing martial arts at home and is proud to have earned a yellow belt. Every update that her grandmother, Stephanie Diggs, posts about her—kindergarten pictures, festivities, and sideline cheers—seems to capture a cozy, firmly rooted family rhythm.
In April 2025, the quiet expanded. Charlie Harper, a baby girl, was born to model Aileen Lopera. Diggs sought confirmation through testing, even though paternity issues first arose in court documents. Charliee is officially his daughter by November, according to the results. Lopera’s lawyer was hopeful, saying that although she had been raising the child alone, she hoped Diggs would be a meaningful co-parent.
Then there was another shock. The announcement that Diggs and Cardi B had welcomed a boy into the world came just days after Charliee’s paternity was confirmed. On November 13, Cardi made the announcement through a succinct statement and a daring Instagram video in which she lip-synched to a song from her album Am I the Drama? prior to the birth being made public. The artist herself remarked, “I brought a new album into the light—and a new baby into mine,” while her representative said, “Cardi is healthy and happy.”
This new chapter with Diggs feels like a fitting narrative twist for fans who are familiar with Cardi’s turbulent marriage to rapper Offset, which is now firmly in the past. She already shares three children with her former partner, yet her words in recent interviews carry a distinct tone of self-empowerment and maturity. Her energy feels incredibly effective at intentionally forming each chapter of motherhood.
Diggs’ response was straightforward but telling. It’s a boy. At the 2025 CFDA Fashion Awards, he grinned and said, “That’s enough for me.” He mentioned upcoming running drills and push-ups in a lighthearted manner, as though he could picture a tiny teammate learning the routes before bed. Given how complex his life has become over the past year, I was pleasantly moved by that picture.
Not everything has gone as planned. After a financial altercation with a personal chef in December 2025, Diggs was taken into custody and charged with felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault. By way of his lawyer, he flatly denied the accusations. His court appearance is set for February 13, a few days after the Super Bowl, where he is anticipated to start for the Patriots, but the legal system will still have a say.
Many top athletes learn to balance that contrast—standing on the national stage while dealing with important personal issues. However, the stakes seem especially high in Diggs’ case. He is more than just a standout receiver these days. He is the father of three children from three very different relationships and is presumably attempting to balance his own development with social expectations.
His son with Cardi B is still largely unknown, living in a family that is taking care to keep him out of the public eye for the time being. Charliee’s future may soon involve a new co-parenting rhythm, which has been shaped thus far by her mother’s solo endeavors. And Nova? She is still his lifeblood—a youngster who has been there from the start, supporting him from the sidelines, perfecting her karate techniques, and perhaps more than anyone else, reminding Diggs of the beginning.
He is by no means done with his career. But it’s entering a new era. His priorities have obviously changed since becoming a father. The headlines haven’t always been positive, and the relationships are complicated. What doesn’t change, though, is the impression that Diggs is steadfastly advancing despite the uncertainty—sometimes in public, sometimes in private, but always with those three youthful names associated with his legacy.
