12 August,2026 05:13 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Celina Jaitly. Pics via Instagram
Actor Celina Jaitly has opened up about an unexpected aspect of her ongoing personal struggles, revealing that her daily workout routine became a subject of questioning during her divorce proceedings. In an Instagram post, the actor explained why fitness and discipline have been particularly important to her while navigating a difficult period in her life.
Jaitly has been publicly discussing her personal circumstances, including her divorce proceedings and allegations of domestic violence against her husband, Peter Haag. She has also spoken about being separated from her children and the detention of her brother in the UAE.
Sharing a picture from the gym, Jaitly reflected on how exercise has helped her cope with grief and uncertainty.
"Imagine having to defend weightlifting in court," Jaitly wrote, explaining that among the matters raised during her divorce proceedings was the fact that she spent around 1.5 hours a day working out.
For Jaitly, however, the gym has represented much more than physical fitness. She said exercising has been one of the few constants that stood by her during some of the hardest chapters of her life.
The actor pointed to the physical and emotional experiences her body has endured, including giving birth to two sets of twins, undergoing twin C-sections, suffering dance injuries and dealing with the loss of one of her children. She also referenced the loss of both her parents, the crisis surrounding her family and the pain of being separated from her children.
Jaitly said working out gave her somewhere to channel her grief, anger, fear and anxiety while attempting to rebuild herself.
Calling discipline a value instilled in her by her father, who she described as a soldier, Jaitly questioned whether dedicating time to exercise could genuinely be considered wrong.
She explained that showing up for herself through sport or exercise represented discipline and accountability, values she believes are particularly important when setting an example for children.
"Was it really wrong for me to lift weights for one and a half hours a day?" she asked, before suggesting that the routine may have given her the strength to deal with everything else happening in her life.
Jaitly married Austrian national Peter Haag, and the couple welcomed twins in 2012. They had another set of twins in 2017, although one child died due to health complications.
In 2025, Jaitly filed a complaint under the Domestic Violence Act against Haag. Police subsequently registered an FIR based on her allegations, which include cruelty, physical harm, criminal intimidation and sustained harassment. The allegations remain subject to legal proceedings.
