Bollywood star accuses husband of domestic violence, seeks ₹50 crore in divorce settlement

Mumbai (The Uttam Hindu): Bollywood actress and former Miss India Celina Jaitly shared the story of the most difficult period of her life in a post on Instagram on Tuesday. In the post, she candidly described how she single-handedly faced the storms that engulfed her family and life.

Celina started her post with two words: "courage" and "divorce." She further wrote in the caption, "In the midst of the most difficult and stormy times of my life, I never imagined I would have to fight alone, without my parents, without any support. I never imagined that the day would come when all the pillars of my life—my parents, my brother, my children, and the person who promised to always stand by me, love me, and be with me through every difficulty—would no longer be there."

Celina made these serious allegations: The 47-year-old actor claimed that she suffered severe emotional, physical, sexual and verbal abuse at the hands of her husband, which forced her to leave her home in Austria and return to India. The petition said, "The Respondent (Haag) is a narcissistic, self-absorbed person. He has a short temper and a drinking habit, which has caused constant stress to the Applicant (Jaitley)."

She wrote, “Life took everything from me, and even those I trusted turned their backs. The promises I believed in were silently broken. But I didn't give up and found the woman within me who never gives up despite difficulties. I am a soldier's daughter... I was raised with courage, discipline, perseverance, resilience, passion, and faith. I was taught that when the world tries to tear you down, it's important to stand up. When the heart is broken, it's important to fight. When injustice is done, there should be no forgiveness, and when life seems impossible, there should be a fight.”

"I continued to fight for my brother, my children, and my dignity. The absence of family and loved ones made me stronger. I have filed a domestic violence complaint against my husband, Peter Haag," Celina said. She added that the case is sub judice, so she cannot comment at this time.

She concluded her post by writing, "This year will not break me. This year will give me the opportunity to rise above the storm. This year will give me the opportunity to reclaim all that was taken from me." Celina is being represented by the Karanjawala & Company team in her divorce and domestic violence case.

Celina and Peter Haag were married in Austria in 2011. In March 2012, the couple became parents to twin sons. In 2017, Celina again gave birth to twin sons, one of whom tragically died due to a hypoplastic heart condition. Celina, known for her roles in films like No Entry, Apna Sapna Money Money, Money Hai To Honey Hai, Golmaal Returns, and Thank You, has recently been in the news due to legal proceedings related to her family. The petition further states that Haag filed for divorce in an Austrian court in August this year. Jaitley has demanded that her estranged husband be directed to pay her ₹50 crore as compensation and ₹10 lakh per month as maintenance.