'We Were Forced To Announce...': Priyanka Chopra Reveals Daughter Malti Marie's Birth Was Leaked During NICU Battle

Actress Priyanka Chopra welcomed her daughter, Malti Marie Chopra Jonas, via surrogate on January 15, 2022, with her husband, singer Nick Jonas. Malti weighed just 1 pound 11 ounces at birth and spent over 100 days in the NICU before finally going home. The actress described the period as 'tough,' saying it was extremely hard on her. She called Malti a 'miracle baby,' adding that at the time, she was her only hope of having a child.

Priyanka Chopra Says Daughter Malti's Birth Was Leaked

Speaking on Jay Shetty's podcast, Priyanka revealed that for nearly three months, she and Nick put everything on hold and visited Malti every single day. During that time, as they were constantly in and out of the hospital, news of their daughter's birth was leaked. She said, "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."

Further, Priyanka said that when she was told Malti would be born at 27 weeks, she completely 'shut down'. She recalled sitting in front of the fireplace in her house for almost nine hours. She explained that as someone who is usually solution-oriented, she did not have a single thought at that moment.

The actress added that Malti was purple at birth and required NICU care. She mentioned that the nurses' fingers were too big for her daughter's tiny mouth. She said she felt 'just numb' and did not know what to do or how to be helpful during that time.

Priyanka shared, "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 tied the knot to Nick Jonas in two ceremonies on December 1 and 2, 2018, in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.