Nick Jonas Opens Up About Daughter Malti’s Traumatic Birth: “She Had to Be Resuscitated”
Nick Jonas is sharing deeply personal details about the frightening early moments of his daughter Malti Marie’s life, revealing that the baby required resuscitation and multiple blood transfusions after being born extremely premature.
The Jonas Brothers singer, 33, spoke candidly during the Feb. 4 episode of Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast, describing the birth of his daughter with wife Priyanka Chopra Jonas as one of the most intense experiences of his life.
“Everything Changed in an Instant”
Jonas explained that Malti, who was born via surrogate in January 2022, arrived far earlier than expected.
“We were expecting her to arrive in April,” he said. “And then we got a call that it was going to be much sooner. Suddenly, we were in action mode.”
When they reached the hospital, the situation quickly became critical. Malti weighed just 1 pound, 11 ounces at birth, and Jonas recalled the shock of seeing how fragile she was.
“She came out purple,” he said, crediting NICU doctors and nurses for immediately stepping in. “These angels resuscitated her, intubated her, and stabilized her incredibly fast.”
Months in the NICU During the Pandemic
Because Malti was born during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jonas and Chopra Jonas spent three and a half months rotating 12-hour shifts in the neonatal intensive care unit.
“You don’t forget that place,” Jonas shared. “The smell, the feeling — it’s comforting and terrifying at the same time. You’re surrounded by other families fighting similar battles.”
During her time in the NICU, Malti required six blood transfusions and slowly began to gain strength and weight, something Jonas described as a daily victory.
“She fought every single day,” he said. “And eventually, she was doing great.”
“Every Day Feels Like a Gift”
Jonas reflected on how those early struggles shaped his perspective as a parent.
“I feel like she knows how she entered the world,” he said. “Every day feels like a gift, and you can see it in her — in her joy, her curiosity, her excitement about everything.”
Priyanka Chopra Jonas has previously spoken about the trauma of those early days, telling British Vogue that Malti was born a full trimester early and was “smaller than my hand.”
“I didn’t know if she would make it or not,” the actress admitted at the time, praising NICU nurses for what she called “God’s work.”
Life Today: Gratitude and Family Time
Now thriving, Malti is the center of the couple’s world. Chopra Jonas shared in a 2025 interview that their favorite family ritual is simple but sacred.
“Sunday morning snuggles in bed,” she said. “They’re mandatory.”
For both parents, the experience reshaped their definition of luxury.
“The greatest privilege,” Chopra Jonas explained, “is being able to spend time together without rushing — just being present.”