Priyanka Chopra is back on the scene for an event close to her heart.
During a March 23 appearance at the Celebrate South Asian Excellence event in Los Angeles, the White Tiger actress—who welcomed a baby with husband Nick Jonas via surrogate in January—gave a powerful speech recognizing her South Asian peers in Hollywood.
"Today, I stand amongst peers, amongst colleagues, amongst South Asian excellence and I have goosebumps, I'm emotional, it makes me very proud," she said while acknowledging that she hasn't been out much since the birth of her baby. "I haven't been stepping out anywhere, but I had to come out tonight just to say this. That I am highly proud to be rubbing shoulders with all of you, to be encouraging you, to be offering a sense of help, support or anything that might be required on my end."
The Quantico alum then commemorated the fact that 10 Academy Award nominees this year are of Asian descent.
"We have 10 Oscar nominees for incredible work, incredible films," Priyanka added. "Talent that stand shoulder to shoulder with the world and it comes from South Asia. You are here paving the way for me, for actors like me, for artists like me who want to be where you are today."
Since welcoming her baby, whose name has yet to be revealed to the public, Priyanka and Nick—who tied the knot in 2018—have kept quiet about details surrounding the newborn. In fact, fans did not even know the two were expecting until they shared the news on social media on Jan. 21.
However, Priyanka and the "Jealous" singer have always been open about wanting to start a family.
"Family is a big part of my life. It's always been a part of my dreams," the We Can Be Heroes actress told E! News' Daily Pop in January 2021, adding, "And I'll take what I get, you know? Leave it up to the God almighty."
Reporting by Alli Rosenbloom