Priyanka Chopra Jonas describes how Nick Jonas filled the void left by her late dad

When Priyanka Chopra Jonas lost her father, Dr. Ashok Chopra, in June 2013, his death left an unimaginable void in her life.

In an interview with TODAY’s Hoda Kotb, Priyanka shared how his death meant losing “my greatest cheerleader" and that her grief manifested into depression.

"I felt like that for the longest time,” she says. “He used to get so excited if I ever won an award, if I signed a new movie … He would just want to be around to watch me do what I do.”

The TODAY cover star, 40, did not know it at the time, but five years later, "fate" (as she calls it) would lead Priyanka to a new cheerleader in her husband, Nick Jonas.

“He’s my cheerleader. He’s the most secure man I’ve ever been with. He gets extremely excited at my wins,” Priyanka says. “He takes off my extensions at the end of the night. He fixes my dress when I walk off stage and makes sure it looks right when I’m on the carpet. He brings me my coffee first thing in the morning.”

See the full TODAY digital cover story with Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

The pair met through a DM in 2016. After walking the red carpet at the Met Gala in 2017, a whirlwind romance ended in three elaborate wedding ceremonies in December 2018.

“He’s just so even-tempered, can handle anything thrown at him. And also has the ability to be vulnerable with me,” Priyanka says. “I feel safe with my husband. I wish that for everyone.”

The couple are parents to daughter Malti Marie Chopra Jonas, who was born Jan. 15, 2022.

Earlier this year, the new parents shared photos of little Malti visiting a Hindu temple during her first trip to Mumbai, India.

“MM’s first trip to India had to be completed with Shree Siddhivinayak’s blessings,” Priyanka captioned three snaps on Instagram.

In another post shared from Mumbai, Priyanka posed beside her husband for "date night" to celebrate the inauguration of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, which aims to highlight and preserve Indian arts.

Additional reporting from the TODAY digital cover story on Priyanka Chopra Jonas, written by Kavita Varma-White.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com