BJ Novak has a part in The Devil Wears Prada 2. Whenever he gets attention for something solo, he’s asked about his bizarre relationship with Mindy Kaling. They dated two decades ago and he broke her heart, and since then, they’ve been in each other’s lives as “best friends.” Y’all know what I think – that Mindy allows Novak to take up too much space in her life and he’s the reason why she has never moved on with someone else in a real way. She’s the mother of three children and she’s never spoken about her children’s paternity. But BJ Novak is always around the kids too, and he’s “godfather” to one of the children. Sure. Anyway, BJ recently chatted with THR and he was inevitably asked about Mindy. This is what he had to say:
B.J. Novak is aware of how invested fans are in his friendship with Mindy Kaling. When The Hollywood Reporter asked the Devil Wears Prada 2 star about the “public fascination” around the relationship between the two alums from The Office, Novak, 46, said, “I totally know it.”
Referencing The Let Them Theory, a book by Mel Robbins that teaches letting go of trying to control others, Novak added that if people “ask me about my life, I answer, and that’s the only thing they want to write a story about? Let them.”
“I’m not going to tell someone that question is off limits. Let them,” Novak added.
Novak and Kaling, 46, began their friendship as costars on The Office starting in 2004. The actor-filmmaker-author called Kaling “a really complicated person and a really complicated friendship, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world” during a 2014 PEOPLE interview.
As of 2017, Novak is officially a member of the Running Point creator’s family as godfather to one of her children, 8-year-old daughter Katherine ‘Kit’ Swati. In February 2025, Novak called Kaling a “deep and caring friend” at her Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony.
Sure. I’d appreciate it if both Mindy and BJ could dial down the weirdness around whatever they are to each other. Stop with the “we’re just besties, that’s why he’s always around the kids and we’re joined at the hip but how dare you question the details of our situation!” The “let them” theory doesn’t apply here, because Mindy and BJ are constantly lying and playing in our faces! “Let them ask whatever they want and we can’t give a straight answer!”
Photos courtesy of Getty Images, Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 12: (L-R) B. J. Novak and Mindy Kaling attend the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 12, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California.,Image: 763123450, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: B. J. Novak, Mindy Kaling, Credit line: Jeffrey Mayer/Avalon
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- BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 12: (L-R) B. J. Novak and Mindy Kaling attend the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 12, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California.,Image: 763123451, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: B. J. Novak, Mindy Kaling, Credit line: Jeffrey Mayer / Avalon
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North America Rights – Los Angeles, USA – 20200209 – The 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar party held at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.
-PICTURED: B. J. Novak, Mindy Kaling
-PHOTO by: Niviere David/ABACA USA/INSTARimages.com
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This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact Instar Images LLC for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207 This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. Instar Images LLC reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded
Featuring: B. J. Novak, Mindy Kaling
Where: Los Angeles, California, United States
When: 09 Feb 2020
Credit: Niviere David/ABACA USA/INSTARimages.com**North America Rights**
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(Top Row L-R) Mindy Kaling, BJ Novak, Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, (Middle Row L-R) Bruce Springsteen, Jessica Springsteen (daughter), Shaggy, Sting (Bottom Row Left) Singer Pink during the 2025 U.S. Open Tennis Championships at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
Featuring: Mindy Kaling, BJ Novak, Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, Jessica Springsteen, Shaggy, Sting
Where: Flushing Meadows, New York, United States
When: 07 Sep 2025
Credit: David Lobel/INSTARimages
