If you need more proof that Mindy Kaling is actually nothing like her delightfully shallow Office character Kelly Kapoor, check out the recent surprise third baby announcement she shared on Instagram. Not only did she keep her entire nine months of gestation a secret, but she also chose not to announce the birth of her baby, Anne, until roughly five months after the fact. (Shying away from attention? Kelly Kapoor would literally never.)
The move adds to a seemingly growing sentiment from celebrities that, yes, even they deserve privacy around sensitive life decisions, like family planning. To be clear, Kaling has always been a boundary queen when it comes to protecting her pregnancies and other two kids (Katherine, 6, and Spencer, 3), and this announcement only solidifies her status as our new mom hero. Here are all the reasons why we love Mindy Kaling in her no Fs given motherhood era.
She Shares Her Mom Life On Her Own Terms
With all the internet sleuthing and oversharing, It’s really impressive that Kaling was able to keep her pregnancy and birth a secret for this long. Yet, protecting her private life is clearly a priority for Kaling—it’s actually the third time she’s surprised us with a birth announcement—and we love that she’s not afraid to buck the expectation to share everything in real-time.
That unwavering boundary-holding is exactly the kind of energy new moms need to see, whether that means giving yourself permission to skip the elaborate announcement on social media to protect your peace or saying no to your in-laws visiting two days after bringing home your baby because you just can’t even.
She Chose to Be a Solo Mom
Most of us don’t have the same level of wealth and resources as Kaling, which means the decision to become a solo mom isn’t necessarily a choice everyone can pursue. But, we do applaud her for unapologetically forging her own path to motherhood, without a partner, in a way that works for her life. It’s a privilege that doesn’t escape her, as she wrote in the post, “I’m so lucky I live in a place where I could do this by myself, on my own timeline.”
Kaling is an example of what’s possible when you have both reproductive and financial freedom—because whether you conceive on your own, use an egg or sperm donor, utilize fertility treatments, or adopt, there is no right way to start a family. Now let’s work on making these choices more accessible for all people.
She Refuses to Show the Faces of Her Kids
In another boss mom move, Kaling has yet to show the faces of her kids on social media, opting instead to only post pictures of them from behind or with their faces obscured. Her reasoning? "I feel like I might as well wait until they get old enough so they can tell me if they want to be part of my social media or not," she told People in a previous interview. There’s nothing that makes our mom hearts swell like another mom doing what she thinks is best for her kids no matter what. (Societal pressure? We don’t know her.)
But, Kaling is all of us when she notes that it’s hard not to share their milestones. "I'm like any parent where I'm proud of the things they do," she says. "I think they're so cute, and of course, I want other people to see it."
She Holds No Space for Incessant—and Rude—Rumors
Since Kaling had her first daughter six years ago, the internet has speculated about the father of her children non-stop. From fans insisting that their dad is her close friend and former flame, BJ Novak, to assuming she used a sperm donor, the online chatter is wildly inappropriate.
Kaling has kept her lips zipped about all of it, except to say that she’s unbothered. In a 2022 Marie Claire interview, she said of Novak, "He's the godparent to both my kids—and they have such a great relationship—and so far [the rumors haven't] affected my happiness at all, it hasn't affected my kids or BJ."
She’s clearly not letting the rumor mill affect her joy, and that’s a mindset we can get behind. So, the next time anyone feels the need to comment on things that are none of their business—like your postpartum weight, how you feed your baby, or the way you gave birth—take a page from Kaling's book and shut it down with an air of confident indifference.
