The trial of Jussie Smollett kicks off on Monday, nearly three years after the 39-year-old actor allegedly orchestrated a hate crime against himself, telling police that two White men in MAGA hats attacked him, shouted slurs, and put a noose around his neck.

Just weeks after the alleged assault, two brothers who knew Smollett through the television show “Empire,” Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, told police that Smollett actually paid them $3,500 to stage the whole thing.

The case has polarized the nation due to the politically and racially charged nature of the alleged hoax, and Americans nationwide will be watching intently to see if Smollett defends himself by taking the witness stand, a move that defense attorneys and prosecutors tell Fox News could make or break the case.