The Michael Avenatti fraud trial has begun, and it all started with talk of porn star Stormy Daniels. He said he made porn star Stormy Daniels a household name – only for her to turn on him when he chased her for fees.

‘Mr. Avenatti accomplished what few attorneys in America could. He transformed a rather obscure adult performer into a household name,’ defense attorney Andrew Dalack told the jury during his opening statements Monday.

He alleged Avenatti had given Daniels hundreds of thousands of dollars only to be faced with false accusations from her, adding that behavior was not uncommon for Stormy Daniels, who when she didn’t ‘get her way, she turned on the people closest to her.’

Avenatti shot to fame by advising Stormy Daniels in 2018 after she claimed then-President Donald Trump had cheated on his wife Melania with her back in 2006 and paid her off to try and secure his 2016 election victory. He’s now accused of conning Stormy Daniels out of $300,000 by faking her signature and using the cash to pay for a Ferrari and staff.

Today a judge allowed Avenatti to represent himself, setting the stage for him to directly confront former client and porn star Stormy Daniels, who is expected to take the witness stand on Wednesday.

This case is a big deal because if he is found guilty, he faces up to 22 years in prison.

We’ll keep you updated as the case progresses.

• In the meantime, you can follow Stormy Daniels on Twitter at @stormydaniels.