He's been branded as a heartless adulterer, but friends of Alex Rodriguez claim the Yankee slugger is actually an "emotionally abused" husband whose wife, Cynthia, gave him permission to see other women.

Angry over the lumps he's been taking in the press, several pals think it's time we heard his side of the story.

"Alex has always been into psychotherapy, making himself mentally stronger," a longtime confidante tells us. "He's had several therapists. Cynthia has a master's degree in psychology. Once she found out how vulnerable he was, she got into his head. Several of us begged him not to marry this woman, but he did it anyway."

The cultural divide between her Orthodox Greek upbringing and his Dominican heritage quickly became apparent, according to several of his friends.

"She said she wanted him to become a mainstream sports star," says a source. "She didn't want him typecast as a Latin player. She discouraged him from taking part in Hispanic community events."

"She wouldn't even let him eat Spanish food," claims another source. "She didn't like him hanging out with old buddies from Washington Heights."

Even his staunchest defenders don't deny A-Rod's eye wandered. "When you keep a man caged, he's going to go crazy when you let him out," argues one source. Sometime in the past year, say friends of both, Alex asked her for a divorce.

"He said, I hate this. I want out,' but she kept insisting they could work it out," says a source. "After about six months of him asking for a divorce, she said it was okay for him to see other people, but she wouldn't agree to a separation."

As for Cynthia's claim that he had an "affair of the heart" with Madonna and that the singer "brainwashed him" one bud says, "Cynthia's the reason Alex met Madonna. She kept hounding him to call [Madonna's manager] Guy Oseary and get them backstage at one of her concerts."

Says another pal: "Cynthia brainwashed him, not Madonna."

Among those who lost touch with A-Rod after his marriage was his former coach Eddie Rodriguez. Eddie would only say, "Maybe we've grown away from each other, but my love for Alex is like father and son and that will never change."

A spokesman for Alex declined to comment on the claims. Lawyers for Cynthia did not return several calls and e-mails.