DWTS' Jana Kramer became suicidal after first husband Michael Gambino tried to kill her

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Country singer Jana Kramer is opening up in a new interview and revealing she was suicidal after her first husband tried to kill her
Kramer, 32, recalled the night in 2005 that Michael Gambino tried to choke her to death
Kramer was just 19 when she married Gambino, who was 36, after two weeks in dating
Gambino served six years in prison for his attempted murder of Kramer
He was released from prison in 2010 and committed suicide two years later
Kramer went on to marry and divorce Johnathon Schaech and is separated from third husband Mike Caussin, with whom she has a daughter

Published: 11:50 EST, 5 October 2016 | Updated: 15:05 EST, 5 October 2016

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Dancing With the Stars contestant Jana Kramer became suicidal after her first husband Michael Gambino tried to choke her to death.

'I remember praying that night, "Please, just take me away, I don't want to be here anymore,"' the 32-year-old country crooner - who still has scars from the incident -told People on Wednesday.

The Circles songstress was 19 when she wed 36-year-old Gambino in Las Vegas after only two weeks of dating, and divorced him the following year.

He was so abusive that Kramer would sometimes sleep in her car or hide in the bushes outside their home to avoid his attacks.

She said that she learned to start using makeup to hide the cuts and bruises covering her body, and began lying to her family about what was wrong.

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Shocking revelation: DWTS contestant Jana Kramer became suicidal after her lesser known first husband Michael Gambino tried to choke her to death in 2005 (pictured September 7)

The 32-year-old country crooner - who still has scars from the incident - told People: 'I remember praying that night, "Please, just take me away, I don't want to be here anymore"'

Nightmare is over: Gambino served six years in prison for his attempted murder of Jana, and two years after his 2010 release, he committed suicide

'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,' Jana recalled.

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

She later said; 'If I'd go for an audition,he'd say, "You're never going to get a job, you're fat. You're ugly."

'He'd be like, "I own this town, I'll destroy you," and I'd believe it. Those incidents happened all the time.

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

She also shared a story about how he disappeared after she told him she wanted an annulment just weeks into their marriage.

'Next thing I know I get a call from him, and he says that his dad has died and that he's so sorry. He said he really loved me and the fact that I wanted to get the marriage annulled hurt his feelings,' said Kramer.

'But it turned out his dad hadn't died. That was a lie. Everything he said was a lie.

'He said he was a deejay for Eminem and he worked in clubs, but I'd eventually learn he was a con man who'd been to jail and had other wives and I don't know how many children.

'But I believed him then.'

'I just needed some help getting it out': The I Got the Boy singer - now approaching her third divorce - said she found her strength after giving birth to eight-month-old daughter Jolie

Yikes! The Michigan-born beauty - who certainly has dubious taste in men - separated from her third husband Mike Caussin six months after welcoming their child (pictured April 3)

She sure can pick 'em: According to Us Weekly, the 29-year-old former NFL tight end is being treated for sex addiction at Mississippi's Pine Grove rehab (where Tiger Woods went in 2010)

The first time Kramer tried to leave Michael, he threatened to abandon her dogs on a Los Angeles freeway she revealed in the interview.

'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," the dimpled brunette claimed.

After trying to choke her to death Gambino spent two months on the road before he was apprehended by police.

He was convicted of attempted murder after a brief trial.

Gambino served six years in prison for his attempted murder of Jana, and two years after his 2010 release, he committed suicide.

Doing good? The philandering footballer 'cheated multiple times with multiple women' including 'paid escorts' as early as two months after meeting Jana

Maybe stay single? Before the 6ft5in athlete, the boy-crazy belter was engaged to Brantley Gilbert (L) following her divorce from second husband, Johnathon Schaech (R), in 2011

The I Got the Boy singer - now approaching her third divorce - said she found her strength after giving birth to eight-month-old daughter Jolie.

'It's not that people have to have a child to find their strength. But it's always been in me. I just needed some help getting it out,' noted Kramer, who's acted in One Tree Hill, Entourage, and 90210.

The Michigan-born beauty - who certainly has dubious taste in men - separated from her third husband Mike Caussin six months after welcoming their child.

According to Us Weekly, the 29-year-old former NFL tight end is being treated for sex addiction at Mississippi's Pine Grove rehab (where Tiger Woods went in 2010).

The philandering football player 'cheated multiple times with multiple women' including 'paid escorts' as early as two months after meeting Jana.

Before the 6ft5in athlete, the boy-crazy belter was engaged to Brantley Gilbert following her divorce from second husband, Johnathon Schaech, in 2011.

#TeamGlamer: On Cirque du Soleil Night, Kramer and her partner Gleb Savchenko landed in the bottom two with 23 points for their Foxtrot to The Beatles' Here Comes the Sun

Dance competition: Catch more of Team Glamer on the 23rd season of Dancing with the Stars, which airs Mondays on ABC

On the mic: The Bullet singer will next perform October 22 at Colorado's Gildan Esprit de She event at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison

On Cirque du Soleil Night, Kramer and her partner Gleb Savchenko landed in the bottom two with 23 points for their Foxtrot to The Beatles' Here Comes the Sun.

Catch more of Team Glamer on the 23rd season of Dancing with the Stars, which airs Mondays on ABC.

The Bullet singer will next perform October 22 at Colorado's Gildan Esprit de She event at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison.