Priyanka Chopra says she 'was forced to announce Malti Marie’s birth' amid NICU crisis

Actor Priyanka Chopra has spoken about the difficult weeks following the birth of her daughter, revealing that she and husband Nick Jonas were compelled to announce the news earlier than planned. Their daughter, Malti Marie Chopra Jonas, was born via surrogate on January 15, 2022.

Malti arrived prematurely, weighing just 1 pound 11 ounces, and spent more than 100 days in the neonatal intensive care unit. Priyanka described that period as emotionally draining, saying it tested her in ways she had not imagined.

Speaking on On Purpose with Jay Shetty, she shared that she and Nick paused all professional commitments and visited the hospital every day for nearly three months. During that time, they received a message informing them that the news of their daughter’s birth would be published within hours.

“We received a text saying that her (Malti) birth would be out in the newspapers, if we don't, they are going to put it in within three hours. So we were kind of forced into announcing her birth because we wanted to control our own narrative. We weren’t ready. We didn’t know what would happen with her or how she would be,” she said.

Priyanka also recalled being told that Malti would be born at 27 weeks. She said she “shut down” on hearing the news and sat quietly in front of a fireplace at home for hours, unable to process the situation. Known for being practical and solution driven, she said she had no clear thought at that moment.

She added that Malti was purple at birth and required immediate NICU care. The experience left her feeling numb. She remembered noticing how the nurses’ fingers seemed too large for her daughter’s tiny mouth.

Later, the family gathered at their home temple. “We have a big mandir in our house with a large Shiv Ji murti. As a family, we sat in front of him, and that was the first time I wept, not out of fear, but out of gratitude. Gratitude that she survived, that she was home, that she chose us, and that we were able to make it happen. IVF is tough.”

Priyanka and Nick married in Jodhpur in December 2018.