The long-standing public feud between Stormy Daniels and Donald Trump over an alleged sexual encounter, a hush-money agreement orchestrated by the former president’s fixer, and their individual attempts to control the public narrative has been brought to the forefront in court.

These tensions, along with the sensational details surrounding them, were laid bare on Tuesday as Ms. Daniels took the stand in Mr. Trump’s criminal trial, marking the first time she directly confronted him in court.

Appearing in loose-fitting black attire with her hair pinned back, the former adult-film star largely avoided direct eye contact with the former president throughout the day, briefly acknowledging him only when asked to identify him by his dark blue suit.

During her testimony, she primarily focused on recounting the alleged sexual encounter with the defendant, which forms the crux of the allegations in the case, while also defending herself against rigorous questioning from his legal team.

During Ms. Daniels’ testimony, Mr. Trump was observed at times cursing and shaking his head, eliciting a warning from the judge, as indicated by court transcripts released later in the day.

The former president is confronting 34 felony charges related to falsifying business records. These accusations arise from an alleged endeavor to conceal a $130,000 payment to Ms. Daniels intended to silence her about the purported encounter.

Maintaining his innocence, Mr. Trump has entered a plea of not guilty and refutes any claims of a sexual encounter with Ms. Daniels. However, he has acknowledged that his former attorney, Michael Cohen, arranged a payment to her to prevent disclosure of her allegations.

Anticipation surrounded Ms. Daniels’ appearance in court as the recipient of the payment. Yet, her testimony on Tuesday marked the most dramatic day of the trial thus far.