Don't take this as a defense of domestic violence in any way but "beat his gfs" in that situation can also be interpreted as "defended himself from a methhead that was trying to kill him" because if I remember he's the one who came away with knife wounds.
As I said, that doesn't condone violence but two damaged people don't make a healthy relationship, and too many times I've seen literal sociopathic bipolar women who spent years physically abusing their male partners put themselves in between men and the door, they could use to escape, while attacking him only to claim abuse when he pushed them away. The point is that sometimes abusive relationships are one abuser and one victim but quite often it is two abusers who escalate the toxic traits of the other.
That said, I'm sure the story varies according to who is telling it. In her version, she was the devoted victim who loved an abusive monster and in his version, he loved her despite her being "crazy" until he could take it anymore.
