When Kaling and Novak started working on the Emmy-winning N.B.C. sitcom The Office in 2004, they became friends.
Kaling and Novak had great creative power over their characters, Kelly Kapoor and Ryan Howard, since they served as both writers and actors on the show.
Although the exact timing of Kaling and Novak’s relationship is unknown, they did engage in an on-again, off-again romance in the show’s early seasons.
“No one, not even ourselves, truly knew if this was a romantic relationship. Is this dating or not? Neither of us was ever truly dating, nor were we ever truly not dating “2012.
Novak spoke with Vulture. “We had no idea. Nobody knew. Even if we didn’t get along, the only thing you could be certain of was that you would always find one of us next to the other.”
The off-and-on romance between Kaling and Novak’s characters was finally resolved in the “Valentine’s Day” episode of Season 2 of The Office.
“The question, “Are Ryan and Kelly together right now, or not?” was occasionally posed by viewers. Not that I wouldn’t know, either.
The question, in my opinion, was not pertinent. “Novak kept on Vulture. “I believe it was kind of a reflection of the relationship we were in,”
In 2007, Kaling and Novak’s off-screen relationship appeared to come to an end permanently, although their friendship remained the same.
In reality, Novak believed, “I think we just kind of grew up, and it became more of a shift.”