In a deeply emotional conversation on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast, international singer Nick Jonas shared harrowing details of the early life of his daughter Malti Marie Chopra Jonas revealing just how intense and uncertain her beginning was.
Nick and wife Priyanka Chopra Jonas were thrilled when they learned they were going to become parents via surrogacy in 2022. However, the couple’s joy quickly turned to concern when they were informed that Malti would be arriving much earlier than expected.
“We were expecting her to arrive in April, but we got a call that it was going to be sooner,” Nick recalled. When Malti was born in January 2022, she weighed just 1 pound 11 ounces (about 765 grams) — smaller than many had anticipated — and was purple in color, a sign of her fragile condition.
“She came out purple…” Nick said, describing the moment doctors in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) stepped into action. The medical team resuscitated and intubated the newborn immediately, working to stabilize her tiny body.
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What followed was a grueling journey of care and resilience. Malti spent three and a half months in the NICU, fighting every day to gain strength and weight. During this time, she underwent six blood transfusions as part of her critical care.
Because her birth happened amid the COVID-19 pandemic, hospital restrictions made the family’s experience even more challenging. Nick explained that he and Priyanka alternated 12-hour shifts at the hospital so that their daughter was never alone — a routine the singer described as both comforting and frightening.
“I can still almost smell the place,” Nick shared, his voice reflecting the vivid memory of those intense months. Being surrounded by other families facing similar struggles added to the emotional weight of the experience.
Slowly but surely, Malti began to gain strength. After enduring multiple transfusions and weeks in the NICU, she continued to improve — eventually strong enough to go home with her parents after those long 3.5 months. Now four years old, Malti’s early battles have made every moment with her feel special for Nick and Priyanka. The singer said that seeing her grow and thrive fills him with awe and gratitude, and that every day with his daughter feels like a gift.
Nick also praised the medical staff who cared for Malti in those critical early days, calling them “angels” for the lifesaving work they did. The couple’s journey from those frightening early days to seeing Malti flourish today is a testament to both the baby’s resilience and the unwavering support of her parents. Nick has often expressed admiration for Priyanka’s strength during the ordeal, saying that their teamwork and love for their daughter helped them through one of the toughest periods of their lives.
As Nick reflected on the experience, he said, “Every day is a gift… she’s magic in every sense of the world.”