Jana Kramer Bravely Opens Up About First Husband's Abuse In Midst Of Divorce From Mike Caussin

Jana Kramer's dissolving marriage with NFL tight end Mike Caussin has thrust her personal life [...]

Jana Kramer's dissolving marriage with NFL tight end Mike Caussin has thrust her personal life into the spotlight and the country singer is now ready to take control of her own story.

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(Photo: Getty / John Shearer)

The mother of one revealed that her past is full of more troubles than just Caussin's infidelity. For the first time, Kramer has gone into detail about her first husband, Michael Gambino, and the domestic abuse she suffered while in that relationship.

"I met Mike when I was 19 at a Coffee Bean in L.A. He was a smooth-talker, very charming, intriguing and obviously older," the 32-year-old told PEOPLE exclusively. "At the time, I liked that. I felt protected."

Her life with Gambino was a far cry from the one she is living out now as a contender on Dancing with the Stars. At the time, she was struggling to become an actress and wound up marrying the older man after just two weeks. Things quickly took a dangerous turn.

She explained, "he'd come home at 3 o'clock in the morning and pick me up out of bed, throw me onto the ground and start yelling and hitting."

"Then the next morning he'd be like, 'Hey, baby,' as if nothing had happened," she continued.

She did not feel she could leave. He would threaten her and her dogs if she tried to go.

"My self-confidence went down each time he was abusive," Kramer said.

The abuse took an even more violent turn on Aug. 6, 2005, when Gambino choked her until she was unconscious and left her bleeding outside their house.

"I remember praying that night, 'Please, just take me away, I don't want to be here anymore,' " recalled Kramer.

Gambino was arrested and convicted of attempted murder. Kramer has moved on with her life, launching a successful country career, parenting a 9-month-old and competing on Dancing with the Stars. She admits it has taken her a long time to speak about these painful memories because even today it is hard to talk about.

"I'm so embarrassed and afraid no one will love me because of my past, but I'm ready to put it out there now," she shared.

She hopes her story will empower another woman to get away from a dangerous situation.

"If I can help one person, I'll be thankful for what happened – and I can move forward," Kramer added.

This article first appeared on Womanista.com

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