Life of Meghan Markle's actor pal Mindy Kaling - tragic loss and co-star romance
The Office US star Mindy Kaling, who is among the celebrity pals starring in the Duchess of Sussex's new Netlfix show, With Love, Meghan, has never revealed the name of the father of her three children
Meghan Markle's new lifestyle show sees her invite some of her celebrity pals to try a taste of her homecooking.
The eight-part series With Love, Meghan, to be released on Netflix, will see the Duchess of Sussex share her best "tips and tricks" in everything from cooking to gardening. She will use celeb pals "old and new" to help teach her viewers how to elevate the everyday.
Mindy Kaling, best known for her role as Kelly Kapoor on The Office US, is among Meghan's Hollywood friends making a guest appearance on the series. Speaking during a red carpet interview at the 2025 Golden Globes on Sunday, January 5, Mindy reflected on her experience working with Meghan just days after the series trailer premiered.
Meghan text Mindy about starring on her Netflix showDescribing her involvement in the project, the 45-year-old called it “probably one of the most glamorous moments of my life.” She also addressed the criticism Meghan often faces, emphasising her friend’s generosity and warmth. "I just feel like people get mad about stuff. And everyone is just like - that feels unnecessary. And a waste of time, maybe," she told Variety.
Speaking to Deadline, Mindy explained how Meghan asked her personally to star in the show. “I was on maternity leave after having my third child last year when Meghan texted me and said, ‘Hey, do you want to come be in my show and come out to Montecito and have me cook for you?’
Meghan and Mindy first met when Mindy appeared on the Duchess' podcast, Archetypes (Image:
Netflix)“And I was like, ‘Yeah — that sounds perfect." Born on 24 June 1979 in Massachusetts, the actress was named Vera Mindy Chokalingam at birth. Her Indian parents, father Avudaiappan Chokalingam and her mother, Swati Chokalingam, immigrated to the United States shortly before she was born.
Despite her first name being Vera, she has always been called Mindy because her parents wanted her to have an American name. Her mother, while pregnant with her in Nigeria, chose the name inspired by the '70s sitcom Mork & Mindy.
The actress suffered the loss of her mother to pancreatic cancer in 2012. A year later, she candidly shared: "I would say that my mother is the single biggest role model in my life, but that term doesn't seem to encompass enough when I use it about her."
In an interview with Lena Dunham for Rolling Stone, Mindy opened up about her beloved late mother, stating: "She [her mother] was the love of my life." A Dartmouth College alum with a degree in Drama under her belt, Mindy co-wrote and starred in the satirical play Matt and Ben alongside her college pal Brenda Withers. They depicted a fictionalised tale of young Matt Damon and Ben Affleck before their rise to fame.
Landing her career-launching gig at just 24, she joined the US remake of The Office as the sole female writer in a team dominated by men, but didn't stop there — she starred as one of the lead characters, Kelly, for eight seasons. Mindy's character had a romance with Ryan Howard, played by B.J Novak. While the TV couple had a strained relationship, the actors had their own romance away from the cameras from 2004-2007.
Mindy has three children - but their father's identity is unknown Mindy dated her The Office co-star BJ NovakThe two have remained close after their split, with Novak now playing an adorable role as godfather to Mindy’s children. Keeping her family life notoriously private, Mindy has chosen not to disclose the identity of the father of her three children - Katherine "Kit" Swati Kaling, Spencer "Spike" Avu Kaling, and Anne.
Rumours were rife that B.J. was the father, but Mindy quickly set the record straight. In a 2022 chat with Marie Claire, she clarified: "He's [BJ] the godparent to both my kids - and they have such a great relationship - and so far [the speculation hasn't] affected my happiness at all, it hasn't affected my kids or BJ."
In February 2024, she secretly welcomed her third child, sharing the happy news with fans afterwards. While Mindy is quick to quash any whispers about her and Novak being an item, she's not shy about admitting their relationship is "weird as hell." She confessed to InStyle in 2015: "I will freely admit: My relationship with BJ Novak is weird as hell."
She added: "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." Meanwhile, Mindy has enjoyed a close friendship with Meghan since appearing on the Duchess' now-cancelled Spotify podcast Archetypes in 2022, when they recorded an episode titled The Stigma of the Singleton.
With Love, Meghan airs on Netflix on January 15After shooting for Meghan's latest project, the mum of three didn’t hold back when praising the royal's cooking skills, subtly countering criticisms of her luxurious lifestyle. “Unsurprisingly, she kind of blew me out of the water,” Mindy said. Meghan’s recipes, she added, were “really accessible,” even though Meghan has a flourishing garden and chickens at her Montecito mansion.
“She has a garden from scratch, which I could never do, and chickens,” Mindy noted. “They would all die if I tried to take care of chickens,” she joked. Mindy also addressed Prince Harry’s cooking skills, adding: “I heard he’s actually a pretty good cook. He knows his way around a kitchen.”
With Love, Meghan launches on Netflix on 15th January
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