Nick Jonas reflects on daughter's ‘intense’ health scare after premature birth

Nick Jonas has opened up about the harrowing health scare his daughter faced shortly after her birth, describing the experience as one of the most intense and emotional periods of his life.

The 33-year-old singer and his wife, actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas, welcomed their first child, Malti, via surrogate in January 2022. 

Speaking on the On Purpose podcast, Jonas recalled that the couple had been preparing for an April due date when they suddenly learned their daughter would arrive far earlier than expected.

“She came into the world under very intense circumstances,” Jonas said. “We were expecting her to arrive in April of the year she was born, and we get a call that it’s going to be sooner.”

Malti was born weighing just 1 pound, 11 ounces, and Jonas vividly remembered the frightening moments after her delivery. “We got to the hospital, and she came out,” he said. “She was 1 pound, 11 ounces and purple basically.”

Medical staff quickly stepped in to resuscitate the newborn, and Malti was transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit, where she spent nearly 100 days. 

Jonas credited the NICU team with saving his daughter’s life, repeatedly referring to them as “truly angels.”

“These angels at the NICU resuscitated her in that moment and got her taken care of really quickly,” he shared, noting that the experience unfolded during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Due to restrictions, Jonas and Chopra alternated 12-hour shifts at the hospital for more than three months.

“It’s a tough reality check,” Jonas said. “Just driving there and back each day and seeing each other as passing ships was a crazy thing.”

Now several years later, Jonas said Malti is thriving and already knows about the difficult start to her life. He believes the experience has left a lasting imprint, even if she doesn’t consciously remember it.

“Every day is a gift,” he said. “I don’t know how much she remembers — probably nothing — but spiritually, I believe there’s gratitude in her. She’s incredible.”