Mindy Kaling’s rumored baby daddy BJ Novak is ‘unconnected, distanced and reluctant’ in the relationship
A body language expert has described Mindy Kaling’s rumored baby daddy BJ Novak as appearing ‘distracted and distanced’ by her side after looking at footage, as the former couple stepped out for the US Open over the weekend.
The pair – who have maintained a long-lasting friendship after an on/off romance in the early 2000s – were photographed at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Sunday where they watched Carlos Alcaraz defeat Jannik Sinner in the Men’s Single Final match.
While Mindy, 46, seemed happy to be in 46-year-old BJ’s company, body language expert Judi James could not say the same for the actor, who she claimed looked ‘unconnected’ and ‘unconvincing.’
According to Judi, his signaling was so distant that he didn’t even appear to indicate a close friendship with Mindy, whose display of joy was not reciprocated by him in any way.
Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail, she said: ‘Mindy’s body language in these poses and the video make her look keen and him cool and detached.
‘Their non-verbal signals here don’t even seem to define them as best friends.
‘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.
‘When they stand together it’s Mindy with her torso partly turned in towards BJ and her over the shoulder glance to the camera shows a beaming smile to be in his company, as though she’s keen to display and share her happiness at being with him.
Mindy Kaling and her ex BJ Novak attended the Men’s Final at the US Open over the weekend
According to body language expert Judi James, BJ appeared ‘unconnected’ and ‘unconvincing’ in photos next to Mindy
‘His pose looks solid and symmetric, front-on to the camera and remarkably unromantic, with his hands stuffed into his pockets in a gesture connected to a desire to hide.
‘His smile is unconnected to hers as his lips are closed and his eye-smile is subtle and a little unconvincing.
‘That same discrepancy or mood mismatch is visible when they sit clapping the tennis. Her cheeks are rounded in an expression of happiness while his expression looks deadpan.’
At one point during the star-studded event, Mindy and BJ were seen posing for a selfie.
In a clip of the moment, which was captured and shared by Bustle, Mindy held her phone up to take snaps of herself and her dear friend, who Judi described as ‘reluctant.’
She continued: ‘Perhaps the worst display is when Mindy tries to get him to pose for a selfie.
‘This is such a common invite, and it normally only involves a moment of pushing heads together to grin at the camera, but it looks like BJ is reluctant to play ball.
‘As she constructs the pose his eye movement shows he is distracted.
She went on to point out that their non-verbal signals don’t even seem to define them as best friends – despite continued speculation over their friendship
Judi noted that Mindy looked happy while applauding the players, while BJ appeared deadpan
She added that Mindy looked delighted to be with BJ, though he did not mirror her enthusasim
Judi described BJ as seeming ‘remarkably unromantic’ and that his hands stuffed into his pockets gestured ‘a desire to hide’
‘He keeps his hands behind his back as though avoiding any touch again and when she urges him to pose he is still looking distracted and distanced.
‘Selfie-reluctance can feel very rejecting which is why you rarely see anyone turning an invite down like this, especially in such a public place.’
Daily Mail has contacted representatives for both Mindy and BJ for comment.
Mindy and BJ both starred on the hit show The Office and previously dated while filming the series.
Despite the split, they have maintained a long-lasting friendship, with some fans speculating he could even be the father of her kids.
Actress and showrunner Mindy is mom to Katherine, seven, Spencer, four, and Anne, one, but has kept the identity of the father private.
Mindy and BJ dated on and off during filming on the hit sitcom The Office (pictured at Mindy’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star unveiling ceremony)
They have long been friends and BJ is godfather to her two eldest children
Meanwhile, BJ is notably the godfather to her two eldest children and has been pictured spending time with Mindy and her little ones.
Earlier this year in February, BJ supported the mom-of-three as she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
He was seen giving her light kiss on the cheek during the festivities as he gave a speech for the Emmy-nominated star.
And, when The Mindy Project actress addressed the crowd in attendance, she then called BJ an ‘integral’ part of her family.
Back in 2022, she told Entertainment Tonight, ‘He’s very good with children. He literally wrote a best-selling book called The Book With No Pictures for kids.’
