Jana Kramer gave intimate details about an allegedly abusive relationship she had when she was younger, where she feared for her life.
While spotlighting Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the singer shared a teenage photo of her sitting on her mother’s lap as the two smiled at the camera.
In the photo, she was wearing a white tank top with a brown headband, while her mother wore a black top and silver necklace.
“This is a very difficult photo for me to look at. You could look at this and see two smiling faces. A daughter with her mother. But what was underneath the smile is something I have a hard time talking about to this day,” she began in her emotional Instagram post on Saturday, while withholding the name of her alleged abuser.
“I don’t remember the excuses I told people when I flew home to escape my abuser about the cuts and scrapes on my shoulder and arms, or why my ribs hurt. But when I look at this photo, that’s all I see.”
The 38-year-old went on to claim that she saw a “devastated girl who had been pinned to the floor weeks earlier while the man who loved me strangled me and said he was going to kill me,” she described as feeling “completely ashamed.”
Kramer, who is currently in a relationship with Ian Schinelli, described that she would reportedly be choked and beaten “because I was bad”, which then led her to believe she “deserved abuse”.
“I’m still trying to get through it, knowing this wasn’t the last abusive relationship…” she further claimed, adding, “I’m speaking out to help others and hopefully at least one person who is going through this.” reads to help talk to someone.”
The “One Tree Hill” alum then urged her followers and anyone who read her post and may have identified with abused not to wait “until you lose your breath, your life, your heart, your soul.”
“I’m linking in my bio a place to find help. @safehorizon and so many places are there for you. Please talk to someone,” she concluded in her lengthy message.
Following her post, many took to the comment section to support and praise her for her work with domestic violence survivors.
Author Gabrielle Bernstein wrote, “God bless your sister,” while actress Shantel VanSanten shared: “Im [sic] so proud of you for sharing it. You are one of the strongest people I know and your ability to help others with your stories is inspiring.”
This isn’t the first time Kramer has opened up about her alleged abuse, previously saying in another Instagram post that she “allowed certain behaviors because I really believed the negative voices in my head being spoken to me.”
The singer went on to describe those “certain behaviors,” where the person would tell her, “I barely pushed you, don’t be so dramatic…you bruise easily, I barely touched you, you’re crazy.” .”
Kramer’s message came after she finalized her divorce from ex-husband Mike Caussin, with whom she shares two children, after she accused him of adultery in their marriage.
Sources at the time told Vidak For Congress that Kramer filed a complaint because the NFL player had cheated on her again.
The singer was first married to Michael Gambino, who was convicted of attempted murder after strangling Kramer unconscious. He was released in 2010 and died by suicide two years later.
She then married Johnathon Schaech, the star of That Thing You Do, in 2010, but broke up after 12 days, finalizing their divorce in 2011.