The two started off as onscreen love interests on 'The Office' and have been everyone's favorite will-they-or-won't-they couple ever since
Mindy Kaling and B.J. Novak have been friends for over 20 years!
The pair first met back in 2004 when they were both brand-new to the industry, working as writers and actors (later producers) on The Office. They had an on-again, off-again relationship in the early aughts, but ultimately ended that in 2007, while remaining close friends.
In fact, Kaling and Novak are so close that fans of the two began speculating he was the father of her children. The rumors, however, never bothered The Mindy Project actress; as she told Marie Claire in 2022, "He's the godparent to both my kids — and they have such a great relationship — and so far [the rumors haven't] affected my happiness at all, it hasn't affected my kids or B.J."
"If that's what is going to be titillating to people, I'll take it," she concluded.
Though fans may never see these two run away into the sunset (as their characters from The Office did), the two besties have shared a lot of sweet moments. Below, check out the cutest photos of Mindy Kaling and BJ Novak.
Godfather Duties
Though he is not the father of Kaling's children, Novak is the godfather to her two eldest: Katherine, 6, and Spencer, 3. The Sex Lives of College Girls creator also recently announced she quietly welcomed her third child earlier this year.
In a 2022 interview with Today, Kaling revealed just how close Novak is to her oldest daughter.
"You know, he said the funniest thing because he's so attached to my older child, my daughter," she said. "When I said, you know, 'B.J., if something happens to me, it's not like I have a husband, like you have to just take the kids.' And he's like 'Oh, my God, don't tempt me.'"
She continued, "He said the funniest thing, he was like, 'Can you sue for god-paternity rights? ... He just loves her so much."
Plus-One Pals
In keeping with their well-established tradition, the pair attended the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party together.
Earlier in the year, Novak opened up about their formerly tumultuous relationship while at the Producers Guild Awards.
"We were in love with each other, and we were reckless idiots, and the two of us would argue about all of these things forever — grinding the writers' room into a halt until we got too upset, and we'd go to our respective offices and slam the door, where we would continue arguing over AOL and Instant Messenger," he said while presenting her with the Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television. "It was 2005."
Playing the Character
The pair met while writing for and filming The Office, where they "kind of fell in love through doing that, and then dated on and off for a couple of years," Kaling told Vulture in 2012.
Palling About
The two, who played onscreen, on-and-off couple Kelly and Ryan, dated on and off for a few years between 2004 and 2007, before ultimately calling it quits.
Novak told Vulture in 2012, "No one, including us, ever really knew, 'Is this dating? Is this not dating?' We were never really dating, we were never really not dating. We didn't know. No one knew. All you'd know for sure was that you'd always find one of us next to the other, even if we weren't getting along."
More Than Friendship
So fine, they have a complicated relationship. But would you just look at the way he looks at her?! This is from New Year's Eve, 2013.
"We kind of fell in love through [writing for the show], and then dated on and off for a couple of years, and now we are just, like, best friends," Kaling told Vulture in 2012. "Like, real best friends. It's the kind of friendship you have when you are embedded with someone, that you can only get by putting in that insane amount of time with people."
Trying to DTR
Kaling told InStyle in 2015, "He is not my boyfriend, but he is not my best friend. I guess you could describe our relationship as a 'romantically charged camaraderie with loud arguments,' but I don't think Facebook would accept this as a new status."
Birthday Bashes
"We're soup snakes. B.J. and I are soup snakes," Kaling wrote in her book, Why Not Me.
It's a reference to The Office, when Michael Scott tries to say that his ex, Holly, is his soulmate, but instead says "soup snakes."
"'Soul mates' is what you aim for, but soup snakes is what you get sometimes," Kaling explains.
Judging from this photo from Kaling's birthday in June 2019, we agree.
Showing a Deep Appreciation
B.J. said of being Kaling's best friend, "It is a fantastic relationship with a lot of shorthand. I feel so lucky that I get a brilliant text from Mindy Kaling, like, once an hour. It's like something you'd win at an auction: Mindy Kaling will blow up your phone!"
It's Complicated
Novak said in a Reddit AMA session that he and Mindy have always been close. "I was closest with Mindy Kaling, and also least close with Mindy Kaling, on a minute-by-minute basis," he shared of his Office friendships. "And I wouldn't trade it for the world. Actually, I would trade it for the world. What am I talking about: I'd trade it for a more consistently positive relationship with Mindy Kaling. She's the best."
Serious Business
But really, y'all, they're not dating. Novak told Entertainment Weekly in 2013, "We are pretty inseparable best friends with a lot of chemistry ourselves, and we're not dating. Whenever we date anyone else, I think there's a period where the person is very skeptical of our friendship."
In the Booth
In 2013, they proved that they are amazing at taking photobooth photos.
A Vanity Fair
And defended their title of cutest couple* with these Vanity Fair photo booth shots from 2018.
*We know they're not a couple, but let us live.
Double the Fun
One year later, they cozied up once more in the photobooth at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party. Like fine wine, their friendship only gets better with age.
Red Carpet Chic
They are the perfect red carpet dates. Here they are at the Golden Globes in 2010.
Wind Beneath Her Wings
Kaling says that the best thing about Novak is his belief in her. "We are so different and we fight a lot, but the gift he has always given me is the utter and total belief that I am one of the greats. And it is an intoxicating feeling," Kaling explained to The Guardian.
Starting Traditions
They have a long-standing tradition of attending the Vanity Fair Oscar Party together, which started in 2014.
Stylish Pair
They also went together in 2017.
Keeping Traditions
...and 2018.
... Again and Again
And, naturally, 2019.
Elite (Non)Coupling
The year 2020 made their fifth party together, and the pair somehow managed to look more and more adorable. Maybe we've just got relationship-tinted glasses on, though.
An Offer He Couldn't Refuse
Kaling has not discussed her children's paternity, but has said she is aware of speculation about Novak's involvement, telling, Good Housekeeping, "If I was on the outside looking at it, I would think the same thing. But the truth is that B.J. is so much more like family now than a platonic friend. He's the godfather to my daughter, he comes over like once a week. Sometimes he'll come over just to hang out with her."
Friends Forever
She also said of Novak, "In the When Harry Met Sally version of platonic friends, I too think that's strange, but when you've known someone for as long as I've known him — the time that we met each other, which was like 24. Now, we're both almost 40. It's such a long time that he truly is just a part of my family."
Always Soup Snakes
Well, I guess we'll just have to keep hoping that these soup snakes end up together.
Riding Shotgun
Kaling shared this photo of the adorable pair riding around in his car.
Celebrating TV's Biggest Night
In 2022, the pair looked glam while presenting at the 74th Primetime Emmys.
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