Ryan and Kelly forever! Mindy Kaling had the sweetest reunion with close pal B.J. Novak at the 92nd annual Academy Awards on Sunday, February 9.
The former Office costars made their way into Los Angeles’ Dolby Theater together ahead of the main event. While on the star-studded red carpet, the close pals took a moment to pose for photos together. Kaling was talking to Novak as they walked the carpet, an onlooker tells Us.
The Mindy Project alum, 40, stunned in a yellow, one-shoulder gown that she accessorized with a large diamond necklace. The 40-year-old Inglourious Basterds actor, for his part, stepped out in a classic black tuxedo.
At last year’s ceremony, Kaling and Novak hit the 2019 Vanity Fair Oscar Party together. Earlier that evening, the Why Not Me? author revealed in an Instagram Story video that she was heading into several Oscars afterparties with Novak, whom she called a “good friend.”
Kaling and Novak first met on the set of The Office in the early 2000s. The duo played Kelly Kapoor and Ryan Howard, respectively; a pair of coworkers who carried on a rocky on-and-off romance throughout the duration of the series.
In some ways, life imitated art as Kaling and Novak also struck up a romantic relationship from 2005 to 2007 while filming the NBC sitcom. Though they’ve chosen to part ways as a couple, the exes have maintained a close friendship nonetheless. Speaking to InStyle in 2015, the Late Night actress explained the pair’s post-breakup dynamic.
“I will freely admit: My relationship with B.J. Novak is weird as hell,” she told the magazine. “He is not my boyfriend, but he is not my best friend. I guess you could describe our relationship as a ‘romantically charged camaraderie with loud arguments,’ but I don’t think Facebook would accept this as a new status.”
Novak also touched on his bond with Kaling while speaking to The Guardian in 2016, saying: “We’re very close in sort of a natural, eternal way.”
The progression of their relationship eventually led Kaling to make Novak the godfather to her 2-year-old daughter, Katherine. She opened up about the decision to Good Housekeeping in May 2019, where she shared how choosing Novak has allowed them to become even closer.
“The truth is that B.J. is so much more like family now than a platonic friend. He’s the godfather to my daughter,” she said. “He comes over like once a week. Sometimes he’ll come over just to hang out with her.”
