Terrence Howard

Actor Terrence Howard says his estranged wife Michelle, who recently accused him of beating her and making death threats, is a monster who hates black people.

Not only that, he claims she once tried to have him killed!

According to Terrence Howard, who's firing back against Michelle Howard in one of the worst celebrity divorces ever, she routinely called him "monkey" or "n!gger."

Terrence says Michelle inexplicably turned from a "loving, gentle" person into a crazy woman who once threatened to have him killed by Russian mobsters (really).

In court documents, Howard notes that Michelle is NOT black, and claims that when she would get upset with him, she would scream things such as:

• "[I] never wanted to marry a n!gger in the first place"
• "[I] definitely didn't want to be the step mother of some n!gger kids."

He also alleges his wife threatened to have him "clipped" if he went to police and bragged, "I have a lot of Russian friends who would do it as a favor."

Howard also claims Michelle has major jealousy issues, to say the least ... attacking him with a bottle after accusing him of talking with other women.

He claims this happened TWO DIFFERENT TIMES, and he never retaliated.

Terrence has asked the court to issue a restraining order against Michelle. She already has one against him. A hearing in their case is set for Jan. 17.

[Photo: WENN.com]

Terrence Howard's estranged wife, Michelle Howard, was granted a restraining order against the actor this morning, saying beats and threatens to kill her.

Michelle filed court documents claiming Terrence began making threats and beating her up just seven days after the couple got married in January 2010.

She filed for divorce in February 2011. He denies any of this.

In the documents, Michelle claims Howard "slugged me across my face and neck" and threatened to throw her off a balcony, and that the actor also ...

• Said, "If you tell anyone about my business, I'll kill you and no one will ever know."
• Smacked her in the face, chipping her tooth with his wedding ring.
• Yelled, "B!tch, walk home. That's my car, I pay for it."
• Said, "I'll hit a woman quicker than I'd hit a man."
• Threw her to the ground in a parking lot.

Howard denies he ever threatened Michelle, who he accuses of trying to "release private materials to 3rd parties for her own personal financial gain."

The material in question: A video of Terrence Howard nude, singing in the shower. Obviously. That would fetch MILLIONS on the market tomorrow.

In any case, an L.A. County Superior Court judge granted Michelle a temporary restraining order preventing Howard from going near or contacting her.