Michael Strahan is going to war with one of his ex-wives over custody of their twin girls ... and he claims his ex is abusing their kids.
Michael claims his second ex-wife, Jean Muggli Strahan, is physically and emotionally abusing their teenage daughters, Sophia and Isabella, and the ex-NFL star is gunning for a judge to strip Jean of primary custody and give it to him ... according to new legal docs obtained by TMZ.
Michael claims Jean's been engaging in a "pattern of abusive conduct towards the children for years" ... he claims he's got proof of the physical and emotional abuse and says he's gonna detail it in sealed docs.
Strahan paints his ex as a bad parent ... claiming Jean's not taking their kids to court-ordered therapy sessions and says she's the reason Sophia and Isabella keep missing their volleyball matches and equestrian events.
Michael, who has visitation rights, wants the girls to move in with him in New York ... and he wants his ex held in criminal and civil contempt for her alleged actions. As for Jean, who currently lives in North Carolina with the 15-year-old girls, he wants her to have the same visitation he currently has, but that's it.
As we've reported ... Michael and Jean are already in a bitter child support dispute ... and now, things are getting even uglier.