{babes} Grigorieva believed Mel 'would change'

Mel Gibson's ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva has admitted she stayed in a relationship with the star for "longer" than she "should have" because she was convinced the actor "would change".

The former lovers are currently locked in a bitter and highly-publicized court battle as they fight for custody of their young daughter, Lucia.

Gibson hit headlines earlier this year when the Russian singer accused him of violently beating her and knocking out her teeth in an alleged altercation in January, while tape recordings of their bitter arguments were leaked on the internet.

Court documents from their legal battle have been obtained by TMZ.com and a sworn declaration from Grigorieva details the alleged abuse she suffered at the hands of the Lethal Weapon actor.

Grigorieva describes several incidents when Gibson was allegedly violent towards her, while she also accuses him of becoming angry and abusive several times a month during their romance.

In the papers, filed in June, Grigorieva explains why she didn't apply for a restraining order against Gibson earlier - insisting she wanted to keep the details private to avoid embarrassing the actor. She also claims she "begged" Gibson to seek professional help for his problems and was convinced he would change.

She writes, "I stayed in this abusive relationship for much longer than I should have due to Petitioner's (Gibson's) threats and intimidation, as well as an obviously misplaced belief that Petitioner would change. I begged Petitioner to get help. I desperately wanted him to get better, but I understand that I cannot live in fear with his unpredictable and unstable personality any more... I am terrified of Petitioner... I believe Petitioner is chemically imbalanced and dangerous. I fear Petitioner now more than ever."