It is the question that has basically fueled a decade of internet sleuthing and frantic Twitter threads: is bj novak married? Honestly, if you’ve spent any time watching The Office or following Mindy Kaling’s Instagram, you probably assume the answer is yes. Or at least, it should be yes.
But here is the reality check. As of 2026, B.J. Novak is not married. He has never been married.
He isn't secretly wed to his former co-star, and he hasn't pulled a surprise ceremony in Vegas. Despite the "mom and dad" energy he and Mindy Kaling radiate every time they hit a red carpet together, he remains one of Hollywood's most high-profile bachelors. It’s a bit of a head-scratcher for fans who have watched their "romantically charged camaraderie" play out for twenty years.
The Mindy Kaling Factor: Why Everyone Thinks He’s Taken
The reason everyone asks is bj novak married usually boils down to one person: Mindy Kaling. Their history is, to put it mildly, a mess. A beautiful, creative, "toxic boundaryless mess," as Novak himself once described it during a speech at the Producers Guild Awards.
They met in 2004 when they were both 24-year-old writers on The Office. They fell in love, dated on and off, and fought so loudly in the writers' room that the producers eventually decided to just write those arguments into the show. That’s how we got Ryan and Kelly.
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They haven't officially "dated" since about 2007. Yet, they are inseparable.
- He is the godfather to her children, Katherine, Spencer, and Anne.
- The kids call him "Uncle FoFo."
- He is a fixture at her house and her primary plus-one for every major awards show.
Kaling has famously kept the paternity of her three children private. This has led to a massive, ongoing conspiracy theory that Novak is the biological father. While they both laugh off the rumors, they don't exactly do much to discourage the idea that they are a "family unit." Kaling told Marie Claire that the speculation doesn't bother her at all. She basically views him as a permanent fixture in her life, husband or not.
Who Is B.J. Novak Dating Now?
If he isn't married to Mindy, then what's the deal with his actual dating life? Novak has always been pretty cagey about his private affairs, but things changed recently.
Since late 2024, Novak has been linked to Delaney Rowe. If you’re "chronically online," you know exactly who she is. She’s the TikTok star famous for her eerily accurate parodies of "insufferable" indie movie tropes—the girl who’s "just one of the guys" or the "manic pixie dream girl" who loves cigarettes and soft piano music.
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Reports surfaced in April 2025 that the two are officially a couple. They’ve been spotted everywhere from the Bowery Hotel in New York to the Vanity Fair Oscar Party.
The Age Gap Discourse
Naturally, the internet had thoughts. Novak is 46; Rowe is 29. A 17-year age gap isn't exactly a crime in Hollywood, but it did spark some "Ryan Howard behavior" jokes on Reddit. Still, the two seem to share a very specific, sharp-witted sense of humor.
But does this mean a wedding is on the horizon? Not necessarily. Novak has a long history of "complicated" relationships that never quite lead to the altar. Before Rowe, he was briefly linked to model Ceilidh Garten back in 2016, but that fizzled out without much fanfare.
The "Soulmate" Problem
There’s a specific brand of psychological complexity to Novak's status. He once told Entertainment Weekly that whenever he dates someone else, there is a period where that person becomes very skeptical of his friendship with Mindy.
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Can you blame them?
Imagine dating a guy and his "best friend" is a wildly successful woman who he used to be obsessed with, whose kids he helps raise, and who he describes as the most important person in his life. It’s a lot to navigate. This "soulmate but not spouse" dynamic is likely why the question is bj novak married keeps trending. People find it hard to categorize a relationship that has all the intimacy of a marriage without the legal paperwork.
What This Means for His Future
So, will B.J. Novak ever get married? Honestly, he might just be the ultimate "bachelor-at-large." He seems perfectly content with his current setup: a thriving career as a writer and director (his film Vengeance was a sleeper hit), a steady presence in a non-traditional family, and a dating life that keeps the tabloids guessing.
If you’re looking for a marriage certificate, you won't find one. But if you’re looking for a deep, lifelong commitment, he’s already found that with Kaling—it just doesn't look like a traditional wedding photo.
Actionable Insights for Fans
- Don't expect a wedding announcement soon: Even with the Delaney Rowe news, Novak tends to move at his own pace.
- Follow Mindy Kaling for the "real" updates: She is usually the one who shares the most candid glimpses of Novak’s life as "Uncle FoFo."
- Watch the comedy: If you want to understand Novak’s perspective on romance, his 2022 film Vengeance offers some pretty cynical, albeit funny, takes on modern connection.
The mystery of Novak's love life is part of his brand. He’s the guy who writes the book on "alphabetical stories" and lives a life that defies easy categorization. For now, he remains single, "complicated," and exactly where he wants to be.