After Rumors Swirled Pals Mindy Kaling And BJ Novak Were On The Rocks, She Set The Record Straight In A Funny Way

mindy kaling and b.j. novak interviews on the late show with stephen colbert
(Image credit: CBS)

When it comes to longstanding celebrity friendships, Mindy Kaling and BJ Novak are seemingly as solid as the likes of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, or Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez. Their relationship dates back to 2004, when they met on The Office and dated off-and-on for a few years before deciding to be just best friends. However, rumors began swirling recently that the pair had a falling out, and Kaling responded to the gossip using her signature comedic sensibilities.

The celebrity gossip site DeuxMoi reported that their sources indicated Mindy Kaling and BJ Novak’s friendship was on the rocks, after the Why Not Me? author initiated a break from the actor and he reportedly agreed that he needed some distance. Kaling herself responded in the comments of DeuxMoi’s Instagram post, writing: 

OMG I Haaate him so much.

The presumably sarcastic comment has since been removed from the post, but many people are taking her words to mean that there’s no merit behind the speculation.

The podcaster says in the post that she reached out to sources after being asked about the lack of social media activity between BJ Novak and Mindy Kaling lately. She recalled what the source reported back: 

They heard that they have had a falling out. I asked this person if they knew why. And they said, ‘No clue what it’s about, except that she apparently initiated it, thinking that he would re-engage and apologize or make amends for whatever it was. And apparently she was shocked when instead he was like, ‘Yeah, no, I agree. We need some distance, and this isn’t a good thing anymore.’

Again, this appears to not be the case, per Mindy Kaling herself, although neither she nor BJ Novak have provided any additional context to flaunt their friendship or defend themselves against the rumors (nor should they have to, honestly). 

Despite their dating history and repeated insistence that their relationship is platonic, many people have trouble believing that Mindy Kaling and BJ Novak aren’t romantically involved. There’s even a long-standing rumor that Novak is her children’s biological father (whose identity she has chosen to keep private). The Book With No Pictures author, however, is proudly the godfather of both Katherine and Spencer, and Kaling has gushed about the connection her kids have with him.

Sometimes with rumors like this, it’s a “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” situation, but If the “falling out” rumors are fueled simply by their social media interactions and one anonymous source, I think we have to take that with a big grain of salt, especially after Mindy Kaling seemingly refuted it. Fans won’t be satisfied, however, until they get confirmation straight from the sources, so we’ll be waiting.

In the meantime, you can relive the early days of BJ Novak and Mindy Kaling’s relationship by rewatching The Office, whose nine seasons are available to stream with a Peacock subscription, and keep an eye on the 2024 TV schedule for all of the upcoming premiere dates. 

Heidi Venable
Content Producer

Heidi Venable is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend, a mom of two and a hard-core '90s kid. She started freelancing for CinemaBlend in 2020 and officially came on board in 2021. Her job entails writing news stories and TV reactions from some of her favorite prime-time shows like Grey's Anatomy and The Bachelor. She graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a degree in Journalism and worked in the newspaper industry for almost two decades in multiple roles including Sports Editor, Page Designer and Online Editor. Unprovoked, will quote Friends in any situation. Thrives on New Orleans Saints football, The West Wing and taco trucks.