Since the birth of her daughter 18 months ago, Mindy Kaling has kept quiet about the identity of the baby’s father. And, in a new interview with The New York Times, the Late Night actress has explained why she has decided to keep her daughter’s DNA private - and it’s for a totally admirable reason.
When asked by the journalist how she arrived at the decision not to publicly talk about it, Kaling replied, ‘My feeling is that until I speak to my daughter about that, I’m not going to talk to anyone else about it.’ While it's a great explanation of why Kalingwon't answer questions about her daugher's DNA, there shouldn’t even be an expectation for her to share the details in the first place - as just because Kaling is a famous woman, doesn’t mean she has to share every single little detail about her family. But, unfortunately, these are the standards women in the public eye are often held to.
The 39-year-old has not been publicly linked to anyone since the birth, and the godfather of her daughter - named Katherine Swati - is The Office co-star BJ Novak, who she on-off dated while they were working on the series.
The Mindy Project creator also spoke at her surprise of enjoying motherhood, telling the newspaper, ‘I did not think I had a big maternal instinct. I’m very impatient, and having a baby requires an amount of patience that I was worried about. But they don’t tell you that the thing will look so much like you, and do things that are so sweet and adorable, that you’ll naturally not have the same impatience that you would have with a stranger or someone who works for you.'
See below just why Grazia loves Mindy Kaling so much...
A Love Letter To Mindy Kaling - Grazia
1 of 5She has achieved huge success in every element of her life…
Her list of achievements are endless. She's a Dartmouth graduate, hugely successful actor and comedian (creating her own TV show and starring in the most anticipated film of the year), a best-selling author plus she writes, produces and directs many of her own projects. Mindy has truly forged a career we could only dream of. But wait, she wasn't done, last year she also embarked on single motherhood while working on three huge films and a new TV show. Maintaining dream-worthy relationships with her colleagues (she's in a messaging group with the entire Oceans 8 cast and Oprah announced her pregnancy for her), surrounded by a supportive family and seemingly perfecting the tightrope that is being friends with an ex (B.J Novak), she can literally DO. IT. ALL.
2 of 5She is set on inspiring others
If her commencement address at Dartmouth University proved anything, it's that this woman needs to become a motivation speaker! She not only opened up about how scary it was to realise she was raising her daughter alone, which she abruptly brushed aside knowing she has the support of her family and friends, but also how to be your own biggest cheerleader. Inspiring others in both her actions and words, she told the audience:'I wanted to leave you with this: I was not someone who should have the life I have now, and yet I do. I was sitting in the chair you are literally sitting in right now and I just whispered, "Why not me?" And I kept whispering it for 17 years; and here I am'.Check out the full speech here.
3 of 5She's hilarious
Her self-depreciating humour is the most relatable, endearing part of her personality. You only need to watch The Office (US version, of course) or The Mindy Project to know that as a fact.
4 of 5Her style is impeccable
Just look at the Ocean's 8 press tour to see just how fashionable this woman is. Her wardrobe from Th_e Mindy Project_ had us hankering for bold prints. And now she's being dressed by some of the biggest fashion names for her various red carpet appearances, we're still stanning for her wardrobe.
5 of 5Despite her success, she's as down to earth as ever
If you can't already tell, Mindy has achieved more success than many of us could ever wish for. Yet, she remains so down to earth it makes us love her even more. Whether it's fangirling over Oprah and Rihanna, or making fun of herself in interviews, she is living proof that success does not mean you have to change your personality.