Mindy Kaling Addresses BJ Novak Dating Rumors

Mindy Kaling and BJ Novak were once in an on-again, off-again romance, but the “Late Night” star is finally setting the record straight. They’ve been off for quite some time, and it doesn’t sound like she thinks they’re getting back together.

“It’s nice that people care,” she told CBS Sunday Morning. “I’ve known him for 16 years. We met each other when we were 24 and we’re going to be 40 in about a month. Anyone who’s known each other for that long — I think it’s nice. I like when people think it’s more romantic or sparkly or interesting than it is.”

Kaling and Novak met while writing and acting on “The Office,” which started airing in 2005. Their characters had a complicated romance that many fans believed reflected their own. Later, Novak appeared on Kaling’s “The Mindy Project” as a love interest for Mindy, but the character was concerned about his extremely close relationship with his female best friend — a storyline inspired by their real-life relationship.

In recent years, they’ve been very supportive of each other at red carpet events and on social media, and they even acknowledged each other in their books, fueling speculation that the romance might not be dead.

Kaling, however, confirmed that they’re not dating. “You know your friends that you’ve known for 16 years. It’s not that way. He’s a wonderful friend. He’s the godfather to my daughter,” she added. “I see him every week. It isn’t, I think, the thing that people sometimes think it is.

“He’s really part of my family now, which is great,” Kaling said, recalling when he flew to Boston to visit her mother, who died in 2012 after battling pancreatic cancer.

“Even though that’s less of a sexy characterization of our relationship, I think it’s a deeper and a closer one. It’s still nice. We do spend a lot of time together, and it’s a great blessing in my life,” she said.

Last week, Novak supported Kaling on the red carpet for her new film “Late Night,” which hits theaters June 7.