Jana Kramer Reveals Her Abusive First Husband Tried to Kill Her

After more than 10 years of keeping a dark secret from her fans, Jana Kramer is opening up about her painful past in hopes to help others.

In this week’s issue of People, the actress-turned singer, who is currently competing on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, revealed shocking information: that her first husband, Michael Gambino, was extremely abusive. So much so that his actions ultimately landed him in prison for attempted murder in 2005.

“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,” Kramer, 32, told the publication. “At the time, I liked that. I felt protected.”

In 2004, just two weeks after their chance meeting at the coffee shop, Kramer and Gambino got married. The honeymoon didn’t last long.

Gambino, who was 17 years older than Kramer, became abusive. Some nights, Kramer was so scared of what he’d do, that she would sleep in her car, or hide in the shrubs outside of their home until he calmed down. Kramer recalled that he was very jealous, had a short temper and that “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.”

Kramer, who would cover up her bruises with makeup, kept the secret from not only her fans, but her friends and family as well. When she tried to escape, he would threaten her. It was a vicious cycle.

“When I said, ‘I can’t do this anymore’ he sent me a photo of my dogs on the freeway and said, ‘I’m going to let them go if you don’t come home’,” she explained. “He’d kick me out of the house, I’d sleep in the car and then that next morning I’d be with him in bed again.”

Although she kept a strong exterior, inside, Kramer was crumbling.

“My self-confidence went down each time he was abusive.”

On August 6, 2005, the unthinkable happened: Gambino choked Kramer until she was unconscious and left her bleeding on the ground outside of their home in Los Angeles.

“I remember praying that night, ‘Please, just take me away, I don’t want to be here anymore’,” shared the “Circles” singer.

After the incident, Gambino was sentenced to six years in prison for attempted murder. He committed suicide two years after his 2010 release.

Now, Kramer, who is mom to 9-month-old Jolie, is sharing her story in hopes to help other abused women.

“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…If I can help one person, I’ll be thankful for what happened – and I can move forward.”

For more with Kramer, fans can pick up the latest issue of People, on newsstands now.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE.