I’m going to try to get through this post without yelling. Y’all know I have strong feelings about Mindy Kaling’s situationship with BJ Novak. Mindy and BJ dated for a while, probably about seventeen years ago. In her books, Mindy has described how devastating it was when they broke up and how their split basically changed the trajectory of her life. In the years since their split, they maintained a very close friendship, and BJ is technically “godfather” to Mindy’s three children. Mindy has never revealed the paternity of her three kids, but by all accounts, BJ is constantly around the kids and he acts as some kind of father/uncle/godfather figure in their lives. Well, Mindy received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday, and of course BJ was there to make a speech, and of course Mindy referenced him in her speech.
Mindy Kaling gave a special shoutout to her kids’ godfather B.J. Novak as she officially received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
On Tuesday, Feb. 18, The Sex Lives of College Girls creator, 45, was photographed, as she solidified her status on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame. Novak, whom Kaling noted is an “important and integral part of my family,” spoke on her behalf at the ceremony, calling her an “incredible mother of three.”
“Mindy respects and understands [fame] in a very intuitive way because in addition to being a brilliant and wildly successful showrunner, an incredible mother of three, a deep and caring daughter and friend and mentor to so many,” he shared.
“You’d be on the walk of talent if they had one,” he added. “You’d be on the walk of friendship. You’d be on the walk of compassionate parenthood, but let’s face it all of these would be terrible field trips, so here you are instead, very deservedly, a person who means so much to so many on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.”
For the record, I’m not mad that Mindy and BJ won’t publicly define what they are to each other, nor am I begging them to put a label on it. After all of these years, I’m pretty sure I know exactly what’s happening between them and I’ve spent all of this time wanting better for Mindy. Maybe she’s perfectly happy, and by the looks of things, she’s very content with her professional life and she loves being a mom. But BJ has managed to basically ruin Mindy’s romantic life for the better part of two decades and I hate that.
oh i'm sure https://t.co/z22JSWf2jH
— daniela molloy (@diandrasdiandra) February 18, 2025
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Getty.
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- Hollywood, CA – B. J. Novak signs autographs at Mindy Kaling’s Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Ceremony in Hollywood, California. Pictured: B. J. Novak BACKGRID USA 18 FEBRUARY 2025 BYLINE MUST READ: JTB / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Hollywood, CA – Mindy Kaling attends her Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Ceremony in Hollywood, California. Pictured: Mindy Kaling BACKGRID USA 18 FEBRUARY 2025 BYLINE MUST READ: JTB / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Hollywood, CA – Mindy Kaling attends her Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Ceremony in Hollywood, California. Pictured: Mindy Kaling BACKGRID USA 18 FEBRUARY 2025 BYLINE MUST READ: JTB / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
I’ve said this before, but from the outside looking in, I agree that BJ has ruined any ability for Mindy to have a lasting romantic relationship with anyone else for two decades. He’s her one that got away. I have a friend where something like that happened, he has messed with her head for going on 30 years now. She left one marriage for him and he backed out two weeks afterwards. She is still in inappropriate contact with him while she’s married to another man with a small child, i.e. he tells her all his relationship problems (and she defends his behavior which on at least one occasion was self-admitted domestic abuse) and sends her dick pics. Hopefully she doesn’t leave this new guy for him, but she can never get him out of her head.
At the risk of projecting onto Mindy and BJ, I hope that’s not what’s happening, but the situation seems similar. In the end, it’s her life and if she’s satisfied with it then it’s her choice.
However, I will say that what BJ said about Mindy in his speech is very nice. I’m sure it meant a lot to her.
Wow he’s really aged poorly in some of these pictures. She looks stunning. He’s always been such a f*ck boi, omg.
All I have is rage for him keeping himself in her life and I’m sad she thinks he’s her person. I hope she’s happy with her life, and I hope he grows up.
Yep, my first thought when I saw these pics was: she is too good-looking for him. (She’s also funnier and more talented if you ask me.) If she’s happy, then good for her, but IMO, she can do better.
Mindy has always seemed to be self loathing. When she was with the Taylor Swift group. All she talked about was being the short chubby girl with all of them. She complains about her skin tone growing up. And she’s one of the big promotors of weight lose drugs. Which are going to boomerang in a few years. And all these people are going to balloon up again. Because they didn’t learn to live with it. So of course she is still trying to get the guy that always seemed to crap on her in the past. She needs therapy instead of Ozempic.
He looks like he had a rough trip teleporting from the 60s.
Strange criticism to throw folks on semiglutides in the mix as self haters.
If those drugs give people who have been tormented by food issues any kind of peace, I adore that for them.
Y’all need to stop infantilising Mindy. She is a grown woman, with infinite resources. If she wanted to get away from this man she would. Maybe you should consider that HE is at HER whim rather than the other way around.
And maybe she hasn’t prioritised romantic love because it interests her less than what she’s cultivated in her life.
THANK YOU! We really know nothing so other options should be considered.
I think of these two like Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello: creative partners who used to date. If Mindy wanted a life partner, she’d have one. She’s a driven, smart, ambitious woman who makes things happen for herself. I don’t get the feeling like something is missing from her life. Every family is different, and this is the one she wants.
She looks beautiful and she’s very funny and talented. He would be doing really really great to get her, but from her end I don’t get it. It could be romantic relationships are just not a priority for her as her career goes full steam ahead. Anyway he gave a nice speech. Whatever. I’m not a fan of his but she is choosing him. I’ve always suspected that he is her kids’ father and if that’s the case then how strange that he doesn’t publicly claim his own kids. And how strange for those kids growing up to see their dad identified as their godfather. It’s almost as if he’s ashamed of his family which makes me like him even less (and I already didn’t like him). Evidently she knows him better than I do so there must be some redeeming qualities there that I just don’t see.
It’s low self esteem. Mindy could do so much better. She looks fabulous and he looks like he slept in those clothes.
Came here to say the same thing. In my 20s, I had a shitty boyfriend who became a 6-year situationship and the ONLY reason I stuck around was my incredibly low self-esteem. Mindy looks FABULOUS and deserves someone who makes her feel that way. Instead, she’s got this used car salesman who slept on the couch in his office because his wife kicked him out for sleeping with the nanny. I mean really? He couldn’t steam his suit and brush his hair for her big day?
“But BJ has managed to basically ruin Mindy’s romantic life for the better part of two decades and I hate that.”
Kaiser, I agree with you.
I understand that Mindy is an adult and that she has a choice in this but I think he’s got an unhealthy hold on her.
At a 2015 BookCon event, Mindy Kaling called her TV show “the love of my life.” BJ, moderating the discussion, replied dryly, “Thanks a lot.” Mindy quickly added, “You’re the second love of my life.” I just imagine their private time together and how his manipulation comes into play.
Back in the day it used to be called “codependent” I think. You didn’t post the pics from the event where he had his arm around her and his face in her hair like he was smelling her.
Anyway, she looks fab, I hope she is happy. He has not aged well, haggard, reminds me of when Ryan on The Office got addicted to cocaine, and bizarre comb-forward going on there.
Mindy talks about how cynical she is when it comes to love and the view of the world. I feel bad for her daughters. While I’m sure BJ is a great parental figure it’s the lived example of what her mother puts up with allowing this type of man in her life that will ultimately shape her daughters relationships with men in the future. BJ still goes on dates with other women (he’s often spotted on deuxmoi out on dates in NYC) and Mindy is never seen out with dates with other men.
She looks gorgeous. She’s smart and funny and I’m always rooting for her. So congrats on the star.
I didn’t realize she had three children! I thought it was just two. No matter what they are to each other though you cannot convince me they have a healthy relationship. I was in a situationship where I fell in love. He moved on and is married, and we rarely talk but whenever we see each other, it’s hard. I can’t imagine being around that all the time
I was once in a relationship/situationship that completely did my head in. The only way to get out of it was zero contact. Nothing intimate. Nothing friendly. Nothing professional.
Then I met someone lovely and we have been together ever since (15 ish years now).
About 2 or 3 years ago the fool slid into my dms, being all chatty, then wanted to meet up. No. Absolutely no. Haven’t heard from him since 😁