Priyanka Chopra Responds to Surrogacy Critics and Explains Her Decision

When Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas announced the arrival of their daughter, Malti Marie, in 2022 via surrogacy, they were subjected to unjustified backlash. It has since emerged that Chopra had a medical justification for opting for surrogacy. Now, the actress has a response for all those who have turned motherhood into a ground for critique.

Their love won over all the obstacles.

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas are seen as one of Hollywood’s most striking duos. Their romance was initiated back in 2016, when Nick boldly sent a text to the model, remarking, “I’ve heard from multiple friends that we should connect. What’s your take on this?” Luckily, Priyanka responded positively to his overture and their communication blossomed from there.

Their relationship could have easily succumbed to the challenges of age disparity (Chopra being 40 and Jonas 30), geographical distance, work schedules, and varying cultural backgrounds. Yet, none of these factors could pull them apart.

After dating for several years, the couple tied the knot.

In 2018, the duo tied the knot, indulging in not one, but two ceremonies to celebrate their love. One was a traditional wedding, while the other reflected Indian customs. The festivities saw a multitude of close friends and family, including the other Jonas brothers.

By January 2022, they had stepped into parenthood with the birth of their surrogate daughter, Malti. The early days of Malti’s life were spent in the neonatal intensive care unit, but by May, she was finally welcomed home by her loving parents.

After they announced their surrogate daughter, many people decided to criticize her.

Priyanka faced substantial backlash for opting to use a surrogate mother. In one interview, she shared that she had to make this choice due to medical reasons and was profoundly grateful for the chance to become a mother at all: “So grateful I was in a position where I could do this. Our surrogate was so generous, kind, lovely, and funny, and she took care of this precious gift for us for 6 months.”

She also directly addressed the ire she faced for choosing surrogacy. “You don’t know me,” Chopra said. “You don’t know what I’ve been through. And just because I don’t want to make my medical history or my daughter’s public doesn’t give you the right to make up whatever the reasons were.” She defiantly had a point here.

She shared about her daughter’s medical condition.

Malti was born a full trimester ahead of schedule. The baby was so tiny that, according to Chopra, she was literally smaller than her own hand. The child spent three months in intensive care, during which the new parents lived in uncertainty, not knowing whether their baby would survive.

All this made her become a protective mother.

It’s evident that Chopra and Nick are preparing to fulfill their parental duties and protect their daughter. The new mother shared: “It’s so painful when they talk about my daughter. I’m like, ‘Keep her out of it.’ I know what it felt like to hold her little hands when they were trying to find her veins. So no, she’s not going to be gossip.” Later, she explained that she’s been “really protective” because it’s not about her life only — it’s about her daughter’s too.

Cameron Diaz is another star who embraced motherhood at a relatively mature age. Her journey to motherhood was a long one, and you can read about it here.