In a contentious second day on the witness stand in his own murder trial, Nima Momeni struggled – or refused – to offer many details about his April 2023 stabbing death. Cash app founder Bob Lee, or to explain his behavior in the days after the murder.

Instead, Momeni argued during cross-examination by prosecutor Omid Talai, who tried to cast doubt on Momeni’s claim that he acted in self-defense.

On Wednesday, Momeni gave jurors his story of what happened in the early morning hours of April 4, 2023, when Lee ended up bleeding in the street with three stab wounds. Momeni testified that Lee pulled a knife on him after him made a “bad joke” about spending more time with his family instead of strip clubs. Lee’s reaction forced Momeni to defend himself.

Momeni said she did not know Lee was injured and did not learn of his death until the next day.

Throughout today’s testimony, Talai and Momeni traded barbs, and at times Momeni became emotional and wiped away tears. The argument prompted Momeni’s own lawyer, Saam Zangeneh, to silence his client at one point outside the courtroom. On several occasions, Zangeneh nodded his head and said “yes” in apparent exasperation with his client fielding the questions. Momeni ignored him.

Later, during cross-examination, Zangeneh blamed Talai for the tension, suggesting it arose from the prosecutor’s misrepresentation of Momeni to the jury.

“Is this… a window into why you were so confrontational with Mr. Talai?” Zangeneh asked this afternoon. Yes, Momeni said.

Talai, speaking in a tone of disbelief throughout the day, questioned Momeni’s claim that he had no animosity toward Lee or that he was unaware of Lee’s injuries or death until he read the news headlines about it.

“Do you agree that it doesn’t make sense for a person who isn’t angry at all and is having fun to take an unsheathed knife on him and put it in his pocket?” Talai asked, referring to Momeni’s claim that Lee pulled a knife from his pocket.