Actor BJ Novak and TikTok comedian Delaney Rowe are officially dating—and, predictably, the internet is not handling it well. The pair reportedly sparked rumors in late 2024 when they were spotted at a New York hotel, and People recently confirmed their relationship. Now, everything from their 17-year age gap (Novak is 45 and Rowe is in her late 20s) to Novak’s long-standing history with former The Office co-star Mindy Kaling is fueling a fresh wave of online discourse, memes, and unfiltered opinions.
is bj novak and mindy kaling’s situationship our business? no. do I want to know wtf they have going on anyways? yes. https://t.co/29S7XSJkD0
— LIL BITCH (@bitch_rights) April 28, 2025
Who are BJ Novak and Delaney Rowe?
For those too young to know, BJ Novak is best known for his role in the hit comedy series The Office. He is also a screenwriter, author, and producer, and directed the 2022 film Vengeance. Novak has been rather private about his love life over the years, but dated Kaling off and on during the show and maintained a close friendship with her afterwards.
Delaney Rowe (@delaneysayshello) gained her fame doing cringeworthy comedy bits on TikTok. Her most beloved gags include poking fun at character tropes like the “absolutely insufferable female lead of an indie movie.” In 2023, she appeared in the film The List.
Rowe successfully divided the internet with her comedy sketches. With 3 million TikTok followers comes plenty of haters, and there is no shortage of vitriol directed at the young comedian. Where you fall on this spectrum may dictate how you react to the Novak news.
Age gaps and cringe comedy
You can’t have a 17-year age gap in a celebrity couple without discourse, especially if the woman is in her 20s. This isn’t a Leonardo DiCaprio situation, but the gap is wide enough to get people talking. Rowe’s exact age is in question, but most sources call her either 28 or 29.
“BJ Novak is 45 and he’s dating a 29-year-old tiktoker,” wrote X user @rosecoloredmeg_. “Men are so predictable.”
Another user, @waystarroyhoe, found the perfect clip from The Office to respond to the relationship news.
bj novak and delaney rowe…. pic.twitter.com/D9jfJlx7pI
— monica (@waystarroyhoe) April 28, 2025
‘The situationship overlord’
Others are taking issue with the relationship simply because they dislike Novak, Rowe, or both. People hating on young female TikTok stars is nothing new, especially if they perform comedy meant to be annoying. As it turns out, some find Novak to be just as irritating.
X user @thepocketpet called him “a biblical f*ckboy… the situationship overlord… ‘dont post me’ final boss… what is this guys problem.”
User @abortedamyadams, meanwhile, compared seeing Novak’s face to The Blair Witch Project.
For haters of both, the combination of the two makes for the most haunting celebrity couple of 2025.
“i’ve said it once and i’ll say it again: my enemies bj novak and delaney rowe are truly a nightmare couple,” said @thenoasletter. “i wish them nothing but terror.”
The Mindy Kaling of it all
The chronically online are also failing to be normal about Novak’s past with Kaling. Although the two have maintained such a great relationship that he’s the godfather of two of her kids, some appear to think that his dating a woman who portrays a type a lot like the characters Kaling likes to write is some kind of slight against her.
“mindy kaling watching bj novak date a twenty something girl with a personality she constantly writes her female characters to have and uses to self project,” posted @wannabespiced with a classic Kaling gif.
User @saturninterlude went so far as to write that “mindy and bj novak are deada** carrie and big but worse.”
Others, however, attempted to get the haters to calm down a bit. User @mybloodyvibe summed up the discourse quite well by pointing out that “Delaney Rowe PORTRAYS an annoying woman on TIKTOK because she is an ACTOR and she is dating BJ Novak because he is an ACTOR and they have that in COMMON and Mindy Kaling is RICH and she will be OKAY.”
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