A WOMAN who claims her boyfriend abused her before she shot him dead has broken her silence in her first TV interview from jail since her conviction.
Nikki Addimando admitted to killing her boyfriend but says the murder was necessary for self-defense.
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"I think there's a misunderstanding about victim and perpetrator," she said in her interview on 20/20.
"I think it's hard to understand that someone can be both."
Addimando says she killed her boyfriend, Christopher Grover, in the Poughkeepsie, New York apartment they shared with their two children.
The two met in 2008 as gymnastics coaches.
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They moved in together in 2012 after she became pregnant with their son, Ben.
Their daughter, Faye, was born in 2015.
Addimando's conviction
Addimando alleges that the relationship soured over Grover's growing abuse.
"I also thought that if I could make him happy, it would stop or that things would go back to how they were," she said about her choice to continue living with Grover.
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The alleged abuse from Grover took center stage in Addimando's criminal proceedings.
The prosecutors said that Addimando could have left the apartment instead of resorting to murder.
They also contended that Grover was shot in his sleep - an allegation that was not corroborated by medical examiners.
Addimando's attorneys pointed to Grover's abuse, saying the physical altercations posed a deadly risk to their client.
On April 12, 2019, Nikki was found guilty of second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon.
At the time, she was sentenced to 19 years to life in prison.
Addimando's sister, Michelle, has maintained legal custody of the two kids.
Reduced sentence
Addimando's sentence has been reduced, and she is expected to be released in 2024.
In accordance with New York's Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act, her sentencing was relitigated in court.
As a result of the new trial, the sentencing was reduced to 7.5 years.
She must also serve five years of legal supervision after her release from prison.
The Judge said Addimando "had the opportunity to safely leave her alleged abuser."
They also admitted: "Through her lengthy testimony, photographs, and other evidence that Grover repeatedly abused her physically and sexually."
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Nikki is interviewed about her trial on an ABC 20/20 episode titled 'Kill or Be Killed.'
The episode will air on February 3 at 9pm EST and can be streamed on Hulu the next day.
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