The civil trial against real estate tycoon Mohamed Hadid, father of supermodels Gigi and Bella, kicked off Friday, with a lawyer representing his neighbors accusing the “bully” of putting them at risk when he built a 35,000-square-foot mansion over their Los Angeles homes. Lawyer Gary Lincenberg called the neighbors “heroes” for standing up to Hadid, and asked a jury to award economic damages for “stress and anxiety, the constant fear and sleepless night” they allegedly endured for nine years as Hadid’s mansion was built.

He accused Hadid of bribing L.A. officials to bypass building codes while constructing the home, and of not complying with a 2019 order to demolish the home. Hadid’s lawyer Jeff Reeves accused one of the neighbors of trying to “shake down” $3.5 million from Hadid in exchange for helping him circumvent codes, then reporting Hadid when he wouldn’t buy in. “This case is about vengeance because Mr. Hadid did not comply,” he said. The trial is expected to last four to five weeks.