Mindy Kaling and B.J. Novak have been close for years now, and their bond has arguably endeared them to their fans. At the same time, many have had questions about the exact nature of their relationship, specifically whether there’s a romantic component to it. While Novak and Kaling did date during the early aughts, they’ve shut down speculation that they’re intimately involved now. Kaling is now addressing the questions she gets about the friendship, and I’m surprised by one specific part of her response.
For some time now, Kaling (46) has had to acknowledge a number of rumors involving both her and Novak (46). Just a few years ago, Kaling refuted claims that Novak fathered her first two children and, on another occasion, humorously denied that their friendship was on the rocks. The ongoing discussion came up during the Mindy Project creator’s recent interview with Bustle as well. Kaling’s response to the chatter was relatively even-keeled and, as part of that, she actually shared a refreshing admission:
He really is in our family, and I love talking about him because my kids adore him, and he’s such a huge part of our life. But I also know that it gives people a lot of ideas. If I was just watching it from the outside, I would have the same questions and the same reactions.
What I wasn’t expecting was for the multihyphenate to admit that she would also be asking questions about a relationship like hers and Novak’s and have similar responses. This signifies a keen amount of self-awareness on Kaling’s part, and I’m honestly impressed. I suppose I should’ve expected a comment like that from the star, though, considering she’s made light of her dynamic with Novak before. Check out this comment she made when they both presented at the 2022 Emmys:
Mindy Kaling and B.J. Novak, who both launched their careers as staff writers on 'The Office,' just reunited to humorously present a writing award at the 2022 Emmys pic.twitter.com/jtbdsXiaLuSeptember 13, 2022
B.J. Novak and Mindy Kaling became close while they were writers and cast members on The Office, and they reportedly dated off and on during that time. Something that’s frequently brought up is how that romantic era in their relationship has parallels with the relationship between their Office characters, Kelly Kapoor and Ryan Howard. While Kaling previously admitted to being “so angry” with Novak early on for turning in a better draft for the “Diversity Day” episode. Yet, at this point, they do indeed seem to be like “family.”
While Kaling isn’t involved with Novak, who’s also godfather to two of her three kids, she’s not currently seeing anyone. She went on to speak about the irony of her single status within the context of her body of work:
It is crazy for someone like me, who only wrote about the pursuit of romance for so much of my life, to be very happy and content without a partner.
There’s certainly nothing wrong with the single life, and I love hearing that Kaling has fully embraced it. And, not that Kaling couldn’t theoretically balance work and love lives, she remains quite busy when it comes to the former. Her sports comedy, Running Point, has been popular amongst Netflix subscription holders and is set to return for a third season. Kaling’s also the creator of the Hulu series Not Suitable for Work, which premieres in June amid the 2026 TV schedule and has already been renewed for a second season.
So it would seem that, at least for right now, the public may not want to make too many assumptions when it comes to Mindy Kaling’s love life. And, as has been the case for a while, it would seem the chatter surrounding her and B.J. Novak continues to be just that: chatter.
