Celebrity Parents Priyanka Chopra Wants to See Daughter 'Happy' After Being 'So Close to Losing Her So Many Times' Priyanka Chopra Jonas explains how her daughter's difficult start in life impacts her own instincts as a mom By Angela Andaloro Angela Andaloro Angela Andaloro is a Society & Culture Staff Writer at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2022. Her work has previously appeared on BuzzFeed, Entertainment Weekly, and LittleThings. People Editorial Guidelines Published on April 27, 2023 05:06PM EDT Priyanka Chopra for ELLE May 2023. Photo: Greg Williams / Elle Priyanka Chopra Jonas is smitten with her little girl. Appearing on the cover of ELLE's May 2023 digital issue, the Citadel actress, 40, says that daughter Malti Marie, 15 months, has her "wrapped around her finger." "I don't even know how I'll ever discipline her because I just don't have it in me. I was so close to losing her so many times that she can get away with anything, and I just want to see her happy," the new mom tells the outlet. "I want her to be the happiest. She's a super smiley, happy baby, and that's all my goal is—to see her joyous. Every time she smiles, it lights up my world, and that's all I want to do." One of the surprises Chopra Jonas has encountered in her motherhood journey so far is "just how much you can love something and how viciously you'll protect it." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Priyanka Chopra for ELLE May 2023. Greg Williams / Elle Priyanka Chopra Opens Up About Daughter Malti's 100 Days in the NICU: 'I Had to Be Her Strength' "I've seen my mom rip people when I've been hurt, and I just never understood it. I was like, 'Mom, chill out. What are you doing?' Now I get it. I would take someone out," she admits. That said, the actress doesn't want to stand in her daughter's way when it comes to how she experiences the world. "I was never left at home with a nanny; I was always with family and friends. I think I had a sense of confidence because I was always around people who loved me, so we've really tried to emulate that," she shares. "Malti is always with her family and she can go anywhere with us. It was very important to us to be able to expose her to just life and its beautiful gifts." Priyanka Chopra for ELLE May 2023. Greg Williams / Elle Chopra Jonas also talks about how she and husband Nick Jonas, 30, split their domestic responsibilities, saying it's been "natural" for them. "We just feel a sense of contribution when it comes to the not-fun stuff," she explains. "I don't remember having a conversation where I'm like, 'I need you to do more of this.' We both have careers that are important to us, so we split our time in a way where one of us is able to do the house things or be with the baby." Earlier this month, Chopra Jonas posted a set of festive photos on Instagram to celebrate Malti's first Easter at home. Priyanka Chopra for ELLE May 2023. Greg Williams / Elle In the first shot, Chopra Jonas smiled behind her daughter as the baby girl held a chocolate egg and wore a white onesie with "Malti Marie's First Easter" printed in black lettering topped with an illustration of bunny ears over her name. The new mom paired the look with black Adidas pants. Mom and daughter also matched on the holiday, Chopra Jonas sharing a mirror selfie of her kissing Malti as they rocked green, lemon-printed pajamas. "Easter Sunday ❤️ 🧿 🙏🏽," she captioned the snap.