Priyanka Chopra Jonas Talks New Memoir 'Unfinished'

"I call it the in-between-interviews book."

While some of us baked bread during quarantine, Priyanka Chopra Jonas finished writing her debut memoir, Unfinished (out February 9). In Marie Claire's spring 2021 issue, Chopra Jonas opened up about writing the memoir during the pandemic, which she calls "the in-between-interviews book."

"I’ve been in so many interviews in my life, but nobody knows what happened in between them," she tells Marie Claire. "I’m not someone who shares my vulnerabilities, my fears. And somehow in the process of writing this book—because it was so cathartic—I happened to go to those places."

Among other topics, Chopra Jonas discusses in the book the bullying she suffered as a teen, the abandonment she felt while at boarding school at just eight years old, and her deep remorse for promoting skin-whitening creams while working in Bollywood. She specifically recalls being called "dusky" by industry influencers and the media.

"For that girl who was so scared, I’m proud of the person that I evolved into. I dealt with a lot, and I came out thriving," she reflects. "I want little girls around the world to think about that. It doesn’t matter where you come from; it doesn’t matter what your circumstances are. Your grit matters, your ambition matters, your perseverance matters."

Read Chopra Jonas's full Marie Claire cover story here, and you can pre-order Unfinished here.

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(Image credit: Matt Winkelmeyer)

Dedicated to women of power, purpose, and style, Marie Claire is committed to celebrating the richness and scope of women's lives. Reaching millions of women every month, Marie Claire is an internationally recognized destination for celebrity news, fashion trends, beauty recommendations, and renowned investigative packages.