Mindy Kaling Says Rumors About B.J. Novak Being Her Children’s Father Don’t ‘Bother’ Her

B.J. Novak is the godparent to both of Mindy Kaling’s children — Katherine, 4, and Spencer, 23 months

Mindy Kaling is addressing rumors that her longtime friend B.J. Novak could be the father of her children.

In an interview with Marie Claire published Tuesday, the Never Have I Ever creator, who has kept the paternity of her children private, revealed that speculation about Novak possibly fathering her children — Katherine, 4, and Spencer, 23 months — “doesn’t bother” her.

“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 BJ,” Kaling, 43, told the publication.

“If that’s what is going to be titillating to people, I’ll take it,” she added.

Kaling also shared why she decided to keep her family life out of the spotlight.

“I want them to be old enough to talk to me about it and [tell me] how they want me to talk about it,” she said of her children. “I’m the only parent my kids have…I think I err on the side of super cautious so that there’s less things that they can potentially be mad at me about down the line.”

During an interview on Good Morning America in 2020, the Mindy Project alum opened up about Novak’s role as a godparent to her daughter.

“Godparents are a Christian tradition, and I’m Hindu and he’s Jewish. It makes no sense really, but we really think like, ‘Christians really got this right, this is a great tradition,’ ” she shared at the time. “I was like, ‘I’m not missing out on this,’ so he is the godparent to my daughter and we’re just redefining what it really means.”

She added, “Right now, it just means that he’s in our pandemic pod, so he comes over all the time — he’s great with kids, so it’s been really nice to have him in the house.”

Kaling and Novak first met while working on The Office, dating on-and-off between 2004 and 2007 before ultimately calling it quits.

Despite the split, the two have remained close friends throughout the years — and have even accompanied each other to red carpet events as platonic dates.

In 2014, Novak also opened up to PEOPLE about his friendly relationship with Kaling.

“Complicated,” he said when asked to describe Kaling in one word. “A really complicated person and a really complicated friendship, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”

[via]