Mindy Kaling and B.J. Novak get an “A” when it comes to being exes.
The duo, who rose to fame as Dunder Mifflin employees Kelly Kapoor and Ryan Howard on The Office, have such a strong bond that Kaling even named Novak the godfather of her 16-month-old daughter, Katherine Swati.
“The truth is that B.J. is so much more like family now than a platonic friend. He’s the godfather to my daughter,” Kaling recently told Good Housekeeping.
Kaling, who stars in the new film Late Night, has never revealed her daughter’s father, leading to intense speculation that Novak is actually the mystery man. Kaling told Good Housekeeping she fully understands the public’s fascination.
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"If I was on the outside looking at it, I would think the same thing," she told GH. "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."
The duo dated back in their 20s, during the early days of The Office.
"[We] kind of fell in love through [working on the show], and then dated on and off for a couple of years," she told Vulture.
Though they eventually broke up, the duo maintained a strong friendship and working relationship, with Novak producing and directing several episodes of The Mindy Project.
“In the When Harry Met Sally version of platonic friends, I, too, think that’s strange,” Kaling told GH. “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.”
Clearly, whatever Kaling and Novak have going now is working out well for them. Kaling is set to adapt Four Weddings and a Funeral for Hulu, and recently announced she’s teaming up with Priyanka Chopra for a comedy about the culture clash that ensues during a traditional Indian wedding.