Celina Jaitly reflects on staying 15 years in an abusive marriage: ‘Strength doesn’t always mean leaving immediately’

Last year, Celina Jaitly filed a case of domestic violence against her husband Peter Haag, seeking ₹50 crores and other sums in lieu of her loss.

In November 2025, actor Celina Jaitly filed a case against her husband Peter Haag, accusing him of domestic violence, cruelty and manipulation, seeking ₹50 crores and other sums in lieu of her loss. The case was filed before Judicial Magistrate First Class in Andheri’s Court of Maharashtra's Mumbai. Taking to her Instagram account on Saturday, Celina has now shared her thoughts on the question that is often thrown at survivors: “Why Didn’t You Just Leave?”

Celina Jaitly has opened up about surviving an abusive marriage.

‘Why didn’t I walk away after the 1st incident?’

In the caption of her new post, Celina penned a long note in response to the question. She wrote, “Why does someone successful, educated, stay in an abusive marriage for 15 years? I have asked myself that question. Why didn’t I walk away after the 1st incident? Or the 2nd…. 3rd. Was I blind? Weak? Used to it? The truth is harder than people think. Abuse rarely begins with violence. It begins with love. Intensity. Promises. The slow building of dependency. You believe you’re building a future. Then something shifts.”

She continued, “But it’s not constant. There are good days. Apologies. Tears. Change that almost feels real. Hope. & hope is addictive. You begin surviving on small windows of it. Mental & verbal abuse leaves no bruises. Confidence erodes quietly. You adjust. Then over-adjust. Then question yourself. The 1st time shocks you. The 5th confuses you. The 10th becomes “normal.” Fear is layered: breaking a family, hurting children, financial instability, starting over, being alone.”

‘Degrees don’t stop gaslighting’

Celina talked about becoming a mother and went on to add, “Then you bring children into the world. My 4G. My 4 greatest gifts. Decisions are no longer about you. You protect childhoods. Stability. What you believe is safety. Assets merge. Control shifts. Independence becomes complicated. Achievement does not protect you from manipulation. Degrees don’t stop gaslighting. Public strength doesn’t prevent private erosion.”

She added, “You think you can fix it. Love harder. Adjust more. Stay calmer. Sacrifice more. Especially when you were raised to believe marriage is sacred at any cost. The familiar, even when painful, can feel safer than the unknown. #abuse isn’t always physical. Sometimes it’s silence. Humiliation. Control. Isolation. Making you doubt your own memory. Yes, I’ve experienced all forms. So instead of asking, “Why didn’t you just walk away?” ask what keeps accomplished, intelligent men & women trapped for years.”

“Not incapability…Psychological warfare. If you’re still there, I see you. If you left, I respect you. If you’re preparing quietly, I understand you. Strength doesn’t always look like leaving immediately. Sometimes it looks like surviving until you can,” she concluded.

About Celina's domestic violence case

Celina got married to Peter, an Austrian entrepreneur and hotelier, in 2010. They have three sons – twin boys, Winston and Viraaj, born in 2012, and Arthur, born in 2017. One of her sons, Shamsher, passed away due to a heart condition.

Celina alleged that the abuse began soon after their wedding. Her petition recounts an incident during their honeymoon in Italy, where Haag allegedly “flew into an inexplicable rage, screamed at her and smashed a wine glass against the wall” after she sought medical attention.

The petition recounts further incidents during her 2011 pregnancy, alleging that Haag shouted at her, drove recklessly despite medical advice and caused repeated spikes in her blood pressure. In one instance at a Dubai mall, he allegedly walked away angrily when she said she felt unwell, leaving her there until she called him, begging to be taken to a hospital.

The petition further alleged that Haag siphoned money from her accounts, misappropriated insurance policy proceeds, used her debit and credit cards while pretending to pay her bills, and induced her to close her bank accounts when she was in a vulnerable mental state. She added that he acted with “bad faith and mala fide conduct” and sought to ensure she had no control over her assets.