Mindy Kaling and BJ Novak, longtime friends and former on‑screen and real‑life partners, attended the US Open men’s final on Sunday, where a body language expert said Novak appeared "distracted and distanced" while Kaling looked upbeat.
The pair watched Carlos Alcaraz defeat Jannik Sinner at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Judi James, a body language analyst speaking to the Daily Mail, said photographs and video of the pair showed Kaling, 46, as "keen" and Novak, also 46, as "cool and detached," with nonverbal signals she described as unaligned for close friends or romantic partners.
James pointed to a range of cues she said suggested Novak's distance: a front‑on, symmetrical stance, hands in pockets, a restrained smile and minimal eye‑smile. She told the Daily Mail that Kaling displayed rounded cheeks and evident enjoyment while clapping, contrasting with what she described as Novak's "deadpan" expression. James also flagged a moment captured by Bustle in which Kaling tried to take a selfie with Novak; she said Novak appeared reluctant and distracted during the interaction.
"Their non‑verbal signals here don't even seem to define them as best friends," James said. "A best friend relationship will normally show signs of shared joy and fun plus some subliminal synchronicity or mirroring, but Mindy and BJ seem to be in two very different visual states here." Daily Mail reported it had contacted representatives for both Kaling and Novak for comment.
Kaling and Novak worked together and dated intermittently during the run of the U.S. sitcom The Office. They have since maintained a close public friendship. Novak is godfather to Kaling's two eldest children, and he attended her Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in February, where he gave a speech and was seen offering a light kiss on the cheek. Kaling called Novak an "integral" part of her family during that event, and has previously praised his rapport with children, noting his success as an author of a bestselling children's book.
Kaling is mother to three children: Katherine, Spencer and Anne. She has not publicly identified the father of her children, a decision that has provoked ongoing public speculation. Coverage of the US Open appearance and subsequent analysis has focused on the pair's present rapport rather than their past relationship, with observers offering differing interpretations of body language and interpersonal signals.
Representatives for both Kaling and Novak had not issued public statements about the US Open photographs or the body language analysis as of Monday.