Nick Jonas Opens Up Emotionally About Daughter's Premature Birth Ordeal
Singer Nick Jonas, aged 33, became visibly emotional while discussing the premature birth of his daughter, Malti Marie, during a recent podcast appearance. The musician and his wife, actress Priyanka Chopra, 43, welcomed their child via surrogate in 2022, a full three months before her expected due date.
"She Came to the World Under Very Intense Circumstances"
During an episode of Jay Shetty's On Purpose podcast, Jonas revealed details he had never previously shared publicly. "She came to the world under sort of very intense circumstances, which I've not really talked about ever," the artist confessed, setting the tone for a deeply personal conversation.
The couple received an urgent phone call informing them that Malti would be born prematurely, prompting an immediate rush to the hospital. Jonas tearfully recalled the harrowing moment of her arrival: "She came out [and] she was one pound, 11 ounces and purple, basically. These angels at the NICU kind of resuscitated her in that moment."
Three and a Half Months of NICU Struggles
Following the birth, Malti required extensive care in the neonatal intensive care unit. Due to COVID-19 restrictions in place at the time, Jonas and Chopra were forced to take turns visiting their daughter in rotating twelve-hour shifts. This challenging routine continued for three and a half months as their child fought for survival.
"It was both comforting and frightening to be there every day and to see other families going through similar situations," Jonas explained, describing the emotional rollercoaster of the NICU experience.
A Fight for Survival and Multiple Transfusions
The musician revealed that his daughter underwent six blood transfusions during her extended hospital stay. "But she fought every day for three and a half months and slowly started to gain some weight," he shared with evident pride. After this prolonged medical battle, the couple were finally able to bring Malti home.
Jonas expressed profound gratitude for his daughter's resilience and current wellbeing. "I feel like she knows... How she entered the world and what that first chapter of her life was like. And so every day is a gift and you can actually feel it on her in the way that she behaves and how exciting everything is," he marveled.
Adding a spiritual dimension to his reflections, Jonas stated: "Spiritually, I believe that there's gratitude in her."
From Billboard to Bride: A Hollywood Romance
Elsewhere in the podcast conversation, Jonas recounted the origins of his relationship with Priyanka Chopra. The couple married in December 2018 after a courtship that began with a social media connection.
"I was first kind of introduced to Priyanka by way of seeing her billboard on Sunset Boulevard for her show Quantico and I was like, wow she's stunning," Jonas reminisced. Months after this initial sighting, he direct messaged her on Twitter, and they "messaged for about a year" before arranging their first meeting.
That initial encounter nearly didn't happen. "I almost left because she was about 45 minutes late, which I now know is a thing, so I expect that. Thankfully I stayed, she sat down, and we had a great conversation," Jonas revealed.
However, it wasn't until a subsequent "proper" date approximately a year later that Jonas experienced his moment of certainty. "That night when she walked in, I just was like, 'I'm going to marry this woman.' And I knew it right away. I told her that I loved her after the second or third date," he gushed, completing the picture of their journey from chance introduction to marriage and parenthood.
