\n B.J. Novak, Mindy Kaling<\/span> Shutterstock(2)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
B.J. Novak<\/strong><\/a> couldn\u2019t help but gush over his BFF Mindy Kaling<\/strong><\/a> after she wished him well on his 44th birthday.<\/p>\n \u201cHappy birthday, Uncle B! We love you! \ud83c\udf89 @bjnovak,\u201d Kaling, 44, wrote via Instagram<\/a> on Monday, July 31, alongside a car selfie of the longtime pals<\/a>.<\/p>\n Novak, 44, gave fans insight into the pair\u2019s dynamic<\/a> by commenting, \u201cNo party is as fun as the car ride home with you.\u201d<\/p>\n Kaling and Novak\u2019s friendship has captivated fans<\/a> since they played coworkers and lovers Kelly Kapoor and Ryan Howard, respectively, on The Office<\/em><\/a> from 2005 to 2013. During their time on the show, the pair also dated off screen for three years before splitting in 2007.<\/p>\n Since calling it quits, Kaling and Novak have remained close<\/a> \u2014 so much so that fans often wonder if they are more than just friends.<\/p>\n \u201cWhenever we date anyone else, I think there\u2019s a period where the person is very skeptical of our friendship,\u201d Novak told Entertainment Weekly<\/em><\/a> of Kaling in January 2013. \u201c\u2018Everyone seems to think you two might be a couple, and I don\u2019t mean to get in the way. Are you sure you\u2019re not dating? Are you sure you\u2019re not going to end up dating?\u2019 It\u2019s such a common thing to have that platonic best friend that becomes a little weird when you start dating someone.\u201d<\/p>\n Kaling, for her part, got candid in 2015 about her \u201cweird as hell\u201d relationship with Novak. \u201cHe is not my boyfriend, but he is not my best friend,\u201d the Mindy Project<\/em><\/a> creator told InStyle<\/em><\/a> at the time. \u201cI guess you could describe our relationship as a \u2018romantically charged camaraderie with loud arguments,\u2019 but I don\u2019t think Facebook would accept this as a new status.\u201d<\/p>\n After Kaling welcomed her two children \u2014 Katherine, 5, and Spencer, 2<\/a> \u2014 her relationship status with Novak was once again called into question.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m the only parent my kids have,\u201d Kaling told Marie Claire<\/em> in August 2022<\/a>, shutting down speculation that Novak was the father of her little ones.<\/p>\n The Sex Lives of College Girls<\/em><\/a> creators explained that the rumors surrounding her dynamic<\/a> with Novak \u201cdoesn\u2019t bother\u201d her nor does it affect his relationship with the kids.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s the godparent to both my kids \u2014 and they have such a great relationship,\u201d Kaling said. \u201cSo [the speculation hasn\u2019t] affected my happiness at all, it hasn\u2019t affected my kids or BJ. If that\u2019s what is going to be titillating to people, I\u2019ll take it.\u201d<\/p>\n Although Novak isn\u2019t Katherine and Spencer\u2019s father, he is a very hands-on godparent.<\/p>\n \u201cHe comes over at least once or twice a week to just hang out with my daughter,\u201d Kaling exclusively told Us Weekly<\/em><\/a> in December 2019, two years after she quietly welcomed her first child. \u201cWhen he does that, I can go take a shower or go work out. \u2026 He\u2019s great.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"B.J.](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/B.J.-Novak-Gushes-Over-Mindy-Kaling-Following-Her-Sweet-Birthday-Tribute-to-Uncle-B2.jpg?w=700&quality=86&strip=all\")
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