Priyanka Chopra opens up about being bullied in America: 'Going back to India healed me'

The 'Quantico' star's new memoir, 'Unfinished', comes out on February 9

Priyanka Chopra Jonas has opened up about her experience at high school in the US. Courtesy BFC

She might seem like she has it all – the Miss World title, the movie credits, the famous husband – but Priyanka Chopra Jonas wasn't always this blessed.

The Quantico star has opened up about being bullied during her time at an American high school, in a new interview with People magazine. This comes ahead of the publication of Chopra Jonas's new memoir, Unfinished, which will hit shelves on February 9.

"I took it very personally," the 38-year-old told the magazine. "Deep inside, it starts gnawing at you."

Priyanka Chopra married American musician Nick Jonas in 2018. EPA

Chopra Jonas was born in Jamshedpur, India, but moved to America when she was 12 years old. For three years, she lived with relatives across New York City, Indianapolis and Massachusetts. It was at her high school in Newton, Massachusetts where the bullying began.

In her memoir, The White Tiger actress reveals how other students would shout racist insults at her in the hallways. She says she tried to ignore the bullying, seeking solace among friends and a guidance counsellor, but it all became too much. This is when she decided to go back home.

"I was so blessed that when I went back to India, I was surrounded by so much love and admiration for who I was," she said. "Going back to India healed me after that experience in high school."

It was clearly the right decision, as she won the title of Miss World only three years later, and went on to have an illustrious career across both Bollywood and Hollywood, becoming the confident star many know today.

Chopra Jonas told People she hoped that by being candid in her memoir, she could encourage others who might have experienced similar bullying or low self-esteem.

"Insecurity becomes small as soon as you talk about it with someone you trust," she said. "I feel like a lot of people spend their time when they're feeling dark [in isolation]. That's the worst thing to do, is to feel sad alone."

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43 photos that show Priyanka Chopra's style evolution:

Priyanka Chopra wears an embellished ballgown at the Miss World final, which she won, at London's Millennium Dome on November 30, 2000. EPA

Priyanka Chopra, with Karina Kapoor and Akshay Kumar, wears a lilac turtleneck and pencil skirt on the set of 'Aitraz' in Bombay on July 10, 2004. EPA

Priyanka Chopra wears the mid-2000s staple, a denim skirt over black leggings, at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on October 15, 2006, in Jaipur. Getty Images

Priyanka Chopra performs in distressed jeans layered under a white dress during the Global Indian Film Awards in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on December 10, 2006. EPA

Priyanka Chopra, wearing a classic little white dress, is named Tag Heuer's new ambassador in New Delhi on March 12, 2007. EPA

Priyanka Chopra wears a wraparound vest top and jeans in Mumbai on November 13, 2008. EPA

Priyanka Chopra wears a soft nude gown at 'The Hollywood Reporter' Next Gen Asia event in Hong Kong on March 24, 2009. Getty Images

Priyanka Chopra dons a golden sari adorned with pink embellishments at the International Indian Film Academy Awards on June 13, 2009 in Macau. Getty Images

Priyanka Chopra, with Shah Rukh Khan and Florian Lukas, wears a demure midi dress in Berlin on October 22, 2010. EPA

Priyanka Chopra wears a purple mini dress at the Dubai International Film Festival on December 8, 2011. Getty Images

Priyanka Chopra, with Farhan Akhtar, wears sheer, lace-trimmed tulle at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival on February 11, 2012. Getty Images

Priyanka Chopra wears a floral-appliqued gown at the International India Film Academy Awards in Singapore on June 9, 2012. Getty Images

Priyanka Chopra wore deep green and gold at the 12th International Marrakech Film Festival on December 8, 2012. Getty Images

Priyanka Chopra, with Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor, wore a fifties-style printed midi at the Dubai International Film Festival on December 13, 2013. Getty Images

Priyanka Chopra wears a LBD at the launch of the Jaguar Range Rover LWD Autobiography Black in India on February 5, 2014. EPA

Priyanka Chopra wears coral Zac Posen at the MusiCares Person of the Year gala in LA on February 6, 2015. EPA

Priyanka Chopra wears sparkly Vera Wang at the People's Choice Awards in LA on January 6, 2016. EPA

Priyanka Chopra in Monique Lhuillier at the 22nd annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in LA on January 30, 2016. EPA

Priyanka Chopra in sharp white suiting at the Time 100 Gala in New York on April 26, 2016. EPA

Priyanka Chopra wears a show-stopping Jason Wu gown at the 68th annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony in LA on September 18, 2016. EPA

Priyanka Chopra wears navy silk at the 70th Unicef Anniversary in New York on December 12, 2016. EPA

Priyanka Chopra wears a Ralph Lauren glimmering jacquard dress at the 74th annual Golden Globe Awards in LA on January 8, 2017. EPA

Priyanka Chopra in a fringed Sally LaPointe two-piece at the People's Choice Awards in LA on January 18, 2017. EPA

Priyanka Chopra wears a structured Ralph & Russo number at the 89th annual Academy Awards in LA on February 26, 2017. EPA

Priyanka Chopra, with Nick Jonas, in a Ralph Lauren trench-coat gown at the Met Gala in New York on May 1, 2017. EPA

Priyanka Chopra wears a white lace mini dress in Berlin on May 30, 2017. Getty Images

Priyanka Chopra wears textured Zimmermann at the Build LDN event on June 1, 2017 in London. Getty Images

Priyanka Chopra attends the Giorgio Armani autumn / winter show - and wears the brand - at Paris Couture Week on July 4, 2017. Getty Images

Priyanka Chopra wears a printed mini and matching boots at the Global Citizen Festival in New York on September 23, 2017. EPA

Priyanka Chopra in Balmain at the 69th annual Primetime Emmy Awards in LA on September 17, 2017. EPA

Priyanka Chopra in Ralph Lauren maroon velvet at the Met Gala in New York on May 7, 2018. EPA

Priyanka Chopra, with Abigail Leigh Spencer, wears a custom Vivienne Westwood skirt suit at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in London on May 19, 2018. Getty Images

Priyanka Chopra, in a silver lehenga, and Nick Jonas during their wedding reception in New Delhi on December 4, 2018. EPA

Priyanka Chopra, wearing a Sabyasachi Mukherjee brocade gown and dupatta shawl, and Nick Jonas at their wedding reception in Mumbai on December 19, 2018. EPA

Priyanka Chopra, with Nick Jonas, wears metallic Vivienne Westwood in LA on February 11, 2019. EPA

Priyanka Chopra, wearing a black Elie Saab gown, at the 2019 'Vanity Fair' Oscar Party in LA on February 24, 2019. EPA

Priyanka Chopra in beaded Roberto Cavalli at the 72nd annual Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2019 in France. Getty Images

Priyanka Chopra, with Nick Jonas, wears a directional Fendi dress at the Chopard Love Night dinner on May 17, 2019 in Cannes. Getty Images

Priyanka Chopra, in strapless Georges Hobeika, and Nick Jonas at the 72nd annual Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2019 in France. Getty Images

Priyanka Chopra in ruffled Marchesa at the 44th annual Toronto International Film Festival in Canada on September 13, 2019. EPA

Priyanka Chopra at the 18th annual Marrakech International Film Festival on December 5, 2019. EPA

Priyanka Chopra, in romantic pink Cristina Ottaviano, and Nick Jonas at the 77th annual Golden Globe Awards in LA on January 5, 2020. EPA

Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra, in fringed Ralph & Russo, at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards in LA on January 26, 2020. EPA

Priyanka Chopra, in a bronze satin gown by Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran, arrives at the Pre-Grammy Gala in Beverly Hills on January 25, 2020. AP

Priyanka Chopra arrives in custom Richard Quinn for the Fashion Awards 2021 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, on November 29, 2021. EPA

Priyanka Chopra, in a custom Halpern metallic gown, arrives for the premiere of 'The Matrix Resurrections' at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco, California, on December 18, 2021. AFP

Priyanka Chopra, in an orange sequin dress by Rasario, attends the Bulgari Eden the Garden Of Wonders event in Paris on June 6, 2022. Getty Images

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