Priyanka Chopra Jonas opened up about using a surrogate in a new cover story for British Vogue.
For context, last January Priyanka and Nick Jonas surprised many people by announcing that they had welcomed a baby girl named Malti. As British Vogue notes, the announcement was met with some backlash from people who speculated Priyanka was “renting” a womb and “outsourcing” her pregnancy for vanity reasons.
While Priyanka wants to keep the details private, she told the publication, “I had medical complications. This was a necessary step and I am so grateful to have been in a position to do so. Our surrogate was so generous, kind, lovely and funny, and she took care of this precious gift for us for six months.”
“I’ve developed a hard skin when people talk about me,” she continued, addressing the negative reaction. “But it’s so painful when they talk about my daughter. I say, ‘Keep her out of there.’”
“I know how it felt to hold their little hands as they tried to find their veins. So no, she won’t be gossip,” she continued. “I’ve really protected that chapter of my life with my daughter. Because it’s not just about my life. It’s hers too.”
In fact, Malti was born prematurely at six months and had to spend three months in the NICU. “I was in the OR when she came out. It was so small, smaller than my hand,” Priyanka explained. “I’ve seen what the critical care nurses are doing. You are doing God’s work. Nick and I both stood there as they intubated her. I don’t know how they even found what they needed [in her tiny body] to intubate her.”
Ultimately, Priyanka had a clear message for people speculating as to why she chose to use a surrogate. “You don’t know me,” she said. “You don’t know what I went through right to make up for whatever the reasons were.”
You can read the full interview here.
Daily BuzzFeed
Stay up to date with the BuzzFeed Daily Newsletter!