Priyanka Chopra Jonas has opened up about why she and husband Nick Jonas prefer to keep their daughter Malti Marie Chopra Jonas away from the public spotlight.Speaking on PEOPLE podcast, the actress shared that as her daughter grows older, she and Nick have become more conscious about giving her as much privacy as possible.
‘Let her have as much anonymity as she can’
Priyanka explained that while public curiosity around celebrity children is inevitable, she believes it is important for Malti to have a normal childhood.“As she’s growing older, we’ve started to also kind of just deflect a little bit,” Priyanka said. “She moves around a lot, [so we] let her have as much anonymity as she can.”The actress added that she does not want her daughter to feel uncomfortable or fearful about public attention.“It is her normal, and people will be curious about her, and I never want her to be fearful of that or judgy or skeptical of the humans that she meets because there are good people in the world,” she said.Priyanka further noted that while awareness of public attention is important, the choice should ultimately belong to Malti.“It’s okay for her to be aware of it, but to have a sense of choice, I think will be important,” she added.
‘Security is just to not be recorded without consent’
The actor also spoke about why she often has security present when the family steps out together.“When we have security out and about, it’s just… to not be recorded without consent because a lot of that happens,” she explained.Priyanka revealed that there have been instances where people crossed boundaries.She recalled that once a person followed her daughter home from school while recording her, which made her more cautious about her child’s safety.
‘I chose a public life, but she should have a choice’
Priyanka acknowledged that being a public figure naturally attracts attention, something she accepted long ago.“I’ve always been of the opinion that I kind of chose a public life,” she said. “I’m pragmatic enough to be like that’s the nature of the beast. If you’re gonna live a public life, people will be interested and curious.”However, when it comes to children growing up in the public eye, she believes everyone is still learning how to navigate that space.“When it comes to children, that’s terrain we are all learning in the last like 10 to 20 years what that is going to be like in the next 10 or 15 years for them,” she said.
‘I love talking about Malti’
Despite keeping her daughter’s life private, Priyanka admitted that she enjoys speaking about her.“I love talking about Malti. She’s an amazing, smart, precocious and fun kid,” she said.The actress, who welcomed her daughter in January 2022, added that motherhood has deepened her understanding of protection and responsibility — something she also connects with in her upcoming film The Bluff.Reflecting on the emotion, she said, “What are you capable of? What will you do to protect your child? How far will you go — I feel that.”
