Priyanka Chopra reveals she and Nick Jonas were "forced" to announce daughter Malti's birth: "We didn't know what would happen with her"

Priyanka revealed that the couple had originally hoped to keep their daughter’s birth private, especially given the uncertainty surrounding her health.

• Priyanka Chopra shared struggles after Malti's premature birth
• Malti spent months in NICU; couple paused work for her care
• Priyanka and Nick were forced to announce Malti's birth early

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Priyanka Chopra recently spoke candidly about one of the most emotionally challenging phases of her life — the premature birth of her daughter, Malti Marie Chopra Jonas.

Appearing on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty, the actress shared details about the difficult period she and her husband, singer Nick Jonas, endured while their newborn remained in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Priyanka revealed that the couple had originally hoped to keep their daughter’s birth private, especially given the uncertainty surrounding her health. However, they were compelled to make a public announcement sooner than expected after information was leaked to the media.

"I remember it leaked and we got a text saying that her birth is gonna be put out by the papers..that if we don't, they are going to in three hours. So we were kind of forced into announcing her birth. We wanted to hold onto our own narrative of it; we weren't ready because we didn't know what would happen with her or how she would be,” she said.

She went on to describe the early days in the hospital, explaining that access to the NICU was limited and deeply emotional. “We went with her to the NICU. One of us was allowed at a time, and she cried the first time. It was like a cat," Priyanka recalled. Despite relatives flying in to offer support, the couple largely remained at the hospital, focusing entirely on their daughter’s recovery.

For the next three months, Priyanka shared that they put all professional commitments on hold. "Nick would sing to her on his guitar. I used to have this little iPod which played all my mantras--my Mahamrityunjay Mantra, my Gayatri Mantra, my Om Namah Shiv mantra, all of it would play all day inside her crib softly. There were a lot of people praying for her. She was very very desired, very coveted, and treasured. It was so hard, her journey to get to this planet."

She reiterated how they spent those months entirely devoted to Malti’s care, emphasizing that they were present at the hospital every single day. "Nick would sing to her on his guitar. I used to have this little iPod which played all my mantras--my Mahamrityunjay Mantra, my Gayatri Mantra, my Om Namah Shiv mantra, all of it would play all day inside her crib softly. There were a lot of people praying for her. She was very very desired, very coveted, and treasured. It was so hard, her journey to get to this planet," she stated.

Also read: Priyanka Chopra reveals being 'pushed' to explore Hollywood: "I don’t think I ever wanted to leave Bollywood"

Priyanka, who married Nick Jonas in 2018 in a grand dual Hindu-Christian wedding ceremony in Rajasthan, reflected that the experience strengthened their commitment to prioritising family above everything else.

The couple welcomed Malti in 2022 and have since occasionally shared glimpses of her on social media, while choosing not to reveal her face publicly.