Nick Jonas Shares Emotional Story of Daughter Malti’s “Frightening” Birth

Nick Jonas has opened up for the first time about the terrifying circumstances surrounding the birth of his and Priyanka Chopra’s daughter, Malti Marie.

Speaking on the Jay Shetty Podcast, the singer described the experience as deeply emotional and something he had never fully talked about before.

Jonas shared that the couple received an unexpected call telling them their baby would be born three months early. They rushed to the hospital, unprepared for what would come next.

Malti was born weighing just one pound, 11 ounces. Jonas recalled that she was purple when she arrived and had to be immediately treated by doctors in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

“These angels in the NICU resuscitated her in that moment,” he said, visibly emotional.

Because Malti was born during the COVID-19 period, Jonas and Chopra were unable to stay together at the hospital. Instead, they took turns, doing 12-hour shifts every day for three and a half months, while their daughter remained in intensive care.

Jonas said the hospital experience is still vivid in his memory — from the smells to the emotions.

“It was comforting and frightening at the same time,” he shared. “You see other families going through similar things, and it stays with you.”

During her time in the NICU, Malti underwent six blood transfusions and slowly began to gain strength and weight. After months of worry, the couple were finally able to take their daughter home.

Today, Malti is four years old, and Jonas believes she carries that early strength with her.

“I feel like she knows,” he said. “Every day is a gift. You can feel it in how excited she is about everything.”

Jonas had briefly mentioned the experience before, calling it “wild” during a 2022 appearance on the The Kelly Clarkson Show, but this is the first time he has shared such personal details.

The couple kept their surrogacy journey private until Malti’s birth and have continued to protect her privacy by not showing her face on social media.

Chopra also opened up about the experience in recent years. In a 2025 interview with British Vogue, she spoke about spending 100 days in the NICU and fearing their daughter might not survive.

“She was so small, smaller than my hand,” she said, praising the nurses for doing “God’s work.”

The actress, best known for her role in Quantico, has also spoken about how Jonas supported her during that painful time, recalling how he calmly guided her back to the hospital when she felt lost and overwhelmed.

From a frightening beginning to a joyful present, Jonas and Chopra say Malti’s story has changed their lives — reminding them every day how precious life truly is.