Celina Jaitly reveals abusive patterns in her marriage
What's the story
Actor Celina Jaitly, who filed a domestic violence case against her husband Peter Haag last year, has opened up about staying in an abusive marriage for 15 years. In a recent Instagram post, she addressed the common question asked to survivors: "Why didn't you just leave?" She wrote about the complexities of abuse and dependency in such relationships.
Emotional manipulation
'Abuse rarely begins with violence'
Jaitly wrote, "Why does someone successful, educated, stay in an abusive marriage for 15 years? I have asked myself that question." "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."
Cycle of abuse
'You think you can fix it'
The actor further explained, "There are good days. Apologies. Tears. Change that almost feels real. Hope & hope is addictive. You begin surviving on small windows of it." "You think you can fix it. Love harder. Adjust more. Stay calmer." "Especially when you were raised to believe marriage is sacred at any cost." "The familiar, even when painful, can feel safer than the unknown."
Survivor's perspective
'So instead of asking, why didn't you just walk away?'
Jaitly also shared how the familiar, even when painful, can feel safer than the unknown. "The first time shocks you. The fifth confuses you. The 10th becomes 'normal.' Fear is layered: breaking a family, hurting children, financial instability, starting over, being alone." "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."
Ongoing case
Meanwhile, know more about her domestic violence case
Jaitly filed a domestic violence case against Haag last year, seeking ₹50 crore and other sums for her loss. The case was filed before the Judicial Magistrate First Class in Andheri's Court of Mumbai, Maharashtra. In her petition, she alleged that the abuse began soon after their wedding and detailed several incidents of physical and emotional abuse. She also accused Haag of financial misconduct, including siphoning money from her accounts and misappropriating insurance policy proceeds.