The Shape of Water won Best Picture in one of the most tightly contested races in years; host Jimmy Kimmel successfully navigated the rough waters of Hollywood’s most scandalous year ever …
… but for fans of Dunder-Mifflin power couples, there was one stunning twist that trumped all the others.
Yes, Kelly and Ryan themselves – Mindy Kaling and BJ Novak hit the red carpet together last night.
Kaling’s choice of date for the Hollywood’s biggest night had fans talking for a number of reasons.
For one thing, there’s the obvious speculation that the on-again, off-again couple is dating once again “on.”
But there’s currently an even more intriguing rumor making its way across the social media landscape.
Kaling welcomed a daughter back in December, and she has yet to disclose the identity of the child’s father.
So we guess it’s not all that surprising that fans are now jumping to the conclusion that Novak is the baby daddy.
In fact, many are flat-out convinced that the Scranton branch’s third or fourth most popular couple has entered the parenting world together.
Rumors about the father of Kaling’s baby have been rampant for several months now, and Kaling has kept mum on the topic.
Unfortunately for her, this is one of those cases where fans believe her silence speaks volumes.
In the past, Kaling has never been shy about discussing the unusual complexities of her relationship with Novak.
“I will freely admit — my relationship with BJ Novak is weird as hell. He is not my boyfriend, but he is not my best friend,” Kaling revealed in a 2015 interview.
“I guess you could describe our relationship as a ‘romantically charged camaraderie with loud arguments,’ but I don’t think Facebook would accept this as a new status.”
In her 2015 memoir, Kaling left Office fans overjoyed when she revealed that she and Novak refer to one another as each other’s “soup snakes,” a reference to a season 7 episode in which Michael Scott intended to use the term “soul mates” and flubbed it as only he can.
“‘Soul mates’ is what you aim for, but soup snakes is what you get sometimes,” Kaling wrote.
Obviously, there’s still no clear indication that Novak is the father of her child, but these days, he certainly seems to be the leading candidate.
Whatever the case, these two went from hanging out by Oscar’s desk to hanging out at the Oscars, and we couldn’t be happier for them.
Admitting it was an “an unexpected surprise,” the star remained mum on the identity of the father and is yet to reveal his name.
She did sit down with NBC News a couple weeks later, however, and open up a bit more about the pregnancy and her future.
“It’s so unknown to me. I have a lot of control over a lot of aspects of my life, and this is one where I’m like, ‘OK, it’s out of my hands,’ which is kind of a fun feeling.”
She added at the time, in jest:
“It’s so easy to criticize parenting until you’re a parent, so one of the nice things about becoming a parent is that I’ll be able to openly criticize other parenting because I will have a child.”
And then, on a more serious note, she said:
“My mom was incredibly fierce and so devoted to us, just loved us and really wanted us to be happy no matter what we did.
“My career choice was not something that she was familiar with and she was just so supportive of that.
“And if I could give that to my child, just that open-mindedness, I’d be so happy.”
The public, meanwhile, remains fascinated by whose sperm fertilized Kaling’s egg.
It’s just fairly unusual for a very successful, mainstream, respected actress such as this to be a single mother. (No judgment at all, Mindy! You do you!)
The two most bantered-about possibilities are:
1. BJ Novak, Kaling’s co-star on The Office and long-time friend who we think dated Kaling in the past and who has remained very close to her.
2. New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, who awesomely flirted with Kaling in March and who may be the next President of the United States.
Either way, or even if it’s some random dude, we’re so very happy for Kaling!
We’ve added her to the following list of celebrities:
Let the speculation end and the celebration begin:
Mindy Kaling is pregnant!
This news was broken a month ago, of course, but the actress herself had not officially confirmed the blessed development until right now.
Excerpts from a Sunday TODAY interview with Willie Geist, which will air on September 10, were made public this morning, with Kaling talking openly about her knocked-up state for the first time.
The 38-year old said she’s “really excited” to become a mom, adding:
“It’s so unknown to me. I have a lot of control over a lot of aspects of my life, and this is one where I’m like, ‘OK, it’s out of my hands,’ which is kind of a fun feeling.”
Kaling does not have a steady or serious boyfriend.
She has not revealed the identity of her baby’s father, although the Internet is filled with questions and curiosity.
Could it actually be Cory Booker, the New Jersey Senator who asked Kaling out for a date in March and who is a legitimate contender for the Presidency in 2020?
Kaling isn’t saying a word.
When Geist asked if she knows what kind of parent she’ll be, the comic star responded in funny Kaling fashion.
“It’s so easy to criticize parenting until you’re a parent, so one of the nice things about becoming a parent is that I’ll be able to openly criticize other parenting because I will have a child,” she joked.
On a far more serious note, the former Office actress said her late mother, Swati Roysircar, set an incredible example.
She can only hope to follow it.
“My mom was incredibly fierce and so devoted to us, just loved us and really wanted us to be happy no matter what we did,” Kaling said.
“My career choice was not something that she was familiar with and she was just so supportive of that. And if I could give that to my child, just that open-mindedness, I’d be so happy.”
Back in 2015, Kaling spoke to Yahoo! Style about someday having kids.
She seemed extremely relaxed about the possibility, while also being very open to it.
“I think I’ve decided that unlike everything else in my life, I’m going to be fast and loose about kids,” she said, seemingly not kidding around and adding:
“I’m going to not actively plan, but if it happens, it would happen. I’m not cavalier about who I would have a kid with.
“But the thing I ask every parent that I really admire, the one comment they all have is that they wish they had kids earlier.”
But the comedic actress may soon be projectile vomiting each and every morning; not because she’s hungover… but because she’s pregnant!
Indeed, the celebrity gossip world was thrown for a stunning loop this week when sources confirmed that Kaling is pregnant with her first child.
It’s not that Kaling is young (she’s 38) nor that Kaling has ever made a secret out of wanting kids (she’s been open about her desire to be a mother).
It’s that Kaling is single. And the identity of her baby daddy is unknown at this time.
We’re not passing any judgment.
We’re just noting that this is an unusual circumstance for a celebrity who isn’t famous just for starring on an MTV reality show or posing often on Instagram in her underwear.
“She is not telling anyone, not even close friends, who the father is,” a source tells People Magazine of Kaling, adding that she isn’t dating anyone seriously at the moment.
According to an insider who spoke to E! News about the pregnancy, it came as “an unexpected surprise” for Kaling, who is next schedule to star in the films A Wrinkle in Time and Ocean’s Eight.
In other words: she’ll be in the news a lot for professional reasons over the next several months.
She’ll likely be making quite a few rounds on press tours for these highly-anticipated movies.
The subject of her pregnancy and whose sperm was used to fertilize her egg is bound to come up.
Why not announce his name now? Perhaps, some are speculating, because the father is none other than Cory Booker.
A Senator from New Jersey, Booker has hinted that he may run for President in 2020.
What if this led to a baby? What if Kaling wants to keep the baby? And what if Booker isn’t sure how to handle the situation, given his political ambitions, and this is why the stars are yet to confirm the news together?
We’re just asking.
Kaling has made it clear over the years that she wants children.
Speaking to Yahoo! Style in 2015, she even said the following:
“I think I’ve decided that unlike everything else in my life, I’m going to be fast and loose about kids.”
We’re not sure if she was being sarcastic, but Kaling added at the time:
“I’m going to not actively plan, but if it happens, it would happen.”
So… Kaling hasn’t worried about birth control over the past two years, it sounds like.
She’s sort of been planning to get pregnant, even without specifically planning with whom and at what time.
Whatever works for her and her mystery man, we guess, right? Here’s to a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby!
Major political news has taken the nation by storm.
The Republican Party was forced to pull the plug on the American Health Care Act Friday after lacking enough votes to clear the House floor, forcing Paul Ryan and Donald Trump to admit that Obamacare will remain the law of the land.
What? Huh? No.
Well… yes. That happened. But it’s not the major political story we’re tracking here at The Hollywood Gossip.
In a far more important breaking development, United States Senator Cory Booker has asked comedic actress Mindy Kaling out on a date!
It all started when the New Jersey native playfully chided Kaling’s alter ego – Dr. Mindy Lahiri on Hulu’s The Mindy Project – for poking fun at his hometown of Newark on her series.
“I guess anything to get out of Newark, huh?” the character joked in a recent episode about Booker’s attendance at a party.
In response, the outspoken and good-humored politician quoted the scene on Twitter and wrote “Ouch!”
He also linked to a Vogue article that referenced an infusion of new restaurants in the area that offer “a fusion of American comfort food with an Indian twist.”
As you can see below, Booker wasn’t too angry over the snub, writing that he still loves Kaling.
Kaling, who portrays an obstetrician on the sitcom and who rose to fame on The Office, took note of Booker’s flirtation and responded as follows:
“Senator, if Mindy Lahiri shades it, it means we know it’s cool. Thanks for the [love]. It’s mutual!”
From there, BOOKER ASKED KALING OUT ON A DATE!
“You are making my day!” gushed the 47-year old single senator, adding:
“Thanks for the clarification. And If the [love] is really mutual… Come have dinner with me in Newark?”
Clearly smitten, Kaling said yes, saying she had to go find the “train schedule” so she could make her way from New York City to New Jersey.
Adding to the incredibleness of this entire exchange, the official Twitter account for the train that takes folks from The Big Apple to its neighboring state (known as the PATH train) proceeded to get involved:
“PATH train is awesome when you are Jersey bound,” Booker Tweeted to Kaling. “But you are @Lyft worthy! I will send one to you for the door to door.”
There’s nothing about this story that isn’t completely awesome and amazing.
Tragically, we’re left hanging at the moment because Kaling has not responded to Booker’s Lyft offer.
But she has to accept, right?
Booker is considered a strong candidate to run for President in 2020.
And with Donald Trump’s approval ratings at historically low levels, you would think the Democratic nominee ought to have a real shot at winning the White House in a few years.
This means there’s a chance that Mindy Kaling could be First Lady.
A good chance? Probably not.
But there really is a chance.
And that’s a lot more than we could have said about the situation just a few hours ago.
Mindy Mann is the infamous nanny with whom Gavin Rossdale reportedly cheated on Gwen Stefani, ultimately prompting the singer to divorce her husband of 13 years.
Now, it’s been revealed, Mann is pregnant with her first child, a boy, leading some to assume that Rossdale is the father.
Though the Australia native herself hasn’t publicly confirm who the dad is, several believe it’s her current boyfriend, Los Angeles-based snowboard instructor, Spencer Gutcheon.
So…is Rossdale off the hook?
“Gavin is adamant he didn’t get Mindy pregnant,” a source told Radar Online.
“They haven’t been together for more than a year. Gavin has moved on from that time in his life.”
Though they aren’t together, Rossdale and Mann were seen having lunch at a North Hollywood pub last month.
“He does maintain a close friendship with Mindy, and hopes to always be in her life.”
That’s…I am furious about behalf of Stefani, whom sources told the publication “heard about the pregnancy a few weeks ago.
“She could care less about that girl or what is going on in her life. But naturally, Gwen is relieved she won’t have to be introducing her three boys to a new sibling!”
I have no use for nannies who bed their bosses, and I am still furious at Gavin Rossdale for allegedly cheating on ex-wife, Gwen Stefani with their nanny, Mindy Mann.
The former couple were married for 14 years before splitting in August 2015. In November, Us Weekly claimed that Rossdale had carried on an affair with Mann, who looked after their three sons.
Stefani reportedly found out about it by looking at the family iPad, which was linked to Rossdale’s phone. Another nanny found nudies of Mann and texts about meeting up for sex, and told Stefani, who was humiliated that all of this was happening right “under her nose.”
Fast forward a few months, and it looks like Rossdale and Mann are still – if not dating – then having sex and eating lunch together.
On February 18th, Rossdale and Mann were seen having beers and lunch at the Fat Dog gastropub in North Hollywood, an eyewitness told Radar Online.
“They definitely acted like a couple,” the source told Radar.
“They were eating off each other’s plates, leaning in, and laughing.”
I know that Stefani is happy with Blake Shelton and that’s wonderful, but I’m so angry at Rossdale for having a wandering eye and ruining my late 90s teenage dream.
“It seemed like they were trying to stay under the radar, because this place is off the beaten path,” the source continued. “But they arrived and left together.”
This allegation initially surfaced via an Us Weekly cover story, though it has since been backed up by other, semi-reputable outlets.
According to various sources, Stefani learned of Rossdale’s infidelity via messages and naked photos of Mann on the family iPad.
OUCH! And may we also add: OOPS!
We cannot verify this story, but we can remark on the above Facebook photos of Mindy Mann. She sure looks a whole lot like Gwen Stefani, wouldn’t you say?
She was recommended to the couple by mutual friends.
She idolized Stefani. “If Gwen would eat something or do a workout or get a new handbag, Mindy would do the same thing,” an insider told Us Weekly.
She was brought in to help raise children Kingston and Zuma in 2008. But she stuck around and was working for the couple when they welcomed their third son, Apollo Bowie, in 2014.
She (allegedly) started sleeping with Rossdale in 2012.
We feel badly for Stefani is this story is true.
Then again… she did go on to bag Blake Shelton. One could do far worse when it comes to snaring a handsome rebound.
