Actress Celina Jaitley recalls receiving a divorce notice in Austria just before her 15th wedding anniversary, saying the document was read out to her by her twin son S. In an exclusive conversation with India Today, the 44-year-old woman said she initially thought the letter was from the municipality or related to her state of residence, and had even joked with her husband asking whether the authorities had sent her some money.

He said the notice, which he said was sent in the guise of an anniversary gift, contained allegations against him and said the marriage had suffered “irreparable damage”. Jaitley also talked about the separation process, custody of the children, his financial difficulties and his subsequent return to India, where he said he tried to rebuild his life with the support of a small group of friends.

Speaking to India Today’s Gaurav Sawant, Jaitley said that her husband had dropped her off at the foot of the hill where their house was, and when she climbed up, her elder twin children were at home doing their homework. She said she did not want to waste time translating the letter herself and asked him to read it. “My twins had to read that terrible divorce notice,” she said.

separation and detention

Recalling the period after the first hearing, Jaitley said the judge had asked the couple to try for an amicable separation by November. She said that there was very little money in her bank account at the time and that she felt as if she was living through a nightmare, although part of her also felt relieved because, in her words, she was in an abusive marriage “at some level”.

She said she has agreed to separate amicably in the best interest of the children and immediately sent a request to her husband’s lawyers saying she wants nothing more than her property, the money she has invested and joint custody of the children. He said he hoped both sides would remain friends.

what happened after this

Jaitley also described what she called a period of control and isolation. According to her, her husband lived on the upper floor of the house while she lived on the middle floor with the children. He said he had asked to continue living there for a period of time while he tried to start working again and stabilize himself before deciding what would be best for the children.

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She said she later received a message saying “if you want to reach out to kids, they should find a job here”. She also remembers being told, “I’ll get you a job as a cleaner in a supermarket.” Jaitley said she did not look down on any job, but said people should work as per their capabilities.

According to Jaitley, matters worsened when he learned that efforts were allegedly being made to liquidate his assets in India. Fearing that she would be left penniless, she said she returned from Austria in the middle of the night with the help of neighbors. In the wide-ranging conversation, he also talked about returning to India without a home, staying in a hotel for 10 days and relying on a small group of friends, including actor Preity Zinta, as he tried to rebuild his life.

family and legal matters

Jaitley married Austrian entrepreneur Peter Haag in 2010. The couple have twin sons, Winston and Viraj, born in 2012, and another son, Arthur, born in 2017. He has earlier spoken about losing his son Shamsher due to heart disease.

In November 2025, Jaitley approached the Andheri Magistrate Court in Mumbai alleging domestic violence and cruelty. She demanded financial compensation and claimed the abuse began soon after their marriage.