‘Today’ Hoda Kotb Steps Over Line With Guest?

ByAllie Johnson
Courtesy of Today. Mindy Kaling speaks to Hoda and Savannah on Today.

Today guest Mindy Kaling was left speechless after Hoda Kotb asked her a very personal question about her time back in high school.

On Monday’s episode of Today, Mindy Kaling joined hosts Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie to talk about her book publishing company. The former star of The Office has branched out well beyond her acting career in recent years. From best-selling author to TV show producer, Kaling has done it all. Late last year, Kaling was appointed to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art board of trustees. To further increase her reach, Kaling also partnered with Amazon to launch Mindy Book Club.

Mindy’s Book Club is a focused effort to shine a light on emerging and diverse writers. In an interview with WBUR in 2022, Kaling said she relished the opportunity to bring new writers to the forefront. “Throughout my career, I’ve been labeled as sort of unusual and an outlier for someone from my background. What I’m finding more and more is that I’m not that unusual. There’s tons of women of color who are interested in comedy and write these incredibly funny books. I just want to help people get to see them.”

While Hoda and Savannah remained focused on Kaling’s publishing career at first, the conversation eventually steered towards Mindy’s romantic life. But from there, the interview took an awkward yet hilarious turn.

Where Hoda Kotb ‘Steps Over The Line’

In classic Hoda form, the longtime daytime talk show host couldn’t help but delve a bit deeper into Mindy Kaling’s past. With dialogue that could have been ripped straight from the pages of a script from The Office, Hoda pointedly asked Kaling what she was like in her teenage years.

“Were you kind of nerdy in high school? What was your vibe?” asked Hoda.

Without missing a beat, Kaling couldn’t help but inject her comedic flare into her answer. “How dare you? How dare you even ask the question? I was popular and cool… no. Yes! I was a huge nerd so books were my escape,” quipped Kaling. She then questioned if Hoda and Savannah could even relate to her high school days. “I don’t think you guys were nerdy,” Kaling joked dismissively.

But Kaling was taken aback by their answers. Both Hoda and Savannah proclaimed that they were each nerds. They even proudly admitted that they didn’t even go to prom, shocking Kaling. For anyone attempting to outrun their nerdy past, the conversation certainly steps over the line. But in this case, it was all in good fun. The trio were clearly enjoying their stroll down memory lane.

Mindy Kaling On What Makes Her Grateful

While appearing on Today with Hoda & Jenna, Kaling spoke more about her past. She opened up about not being a spiritual person until she became a mother. “Gratitude is something that I’m working on all the time. And sometimes struggle with it,” Kaling admitted.

“But this year for my birthday, I was just looking at these guys [her children]. We went back to Boston, where they’ll never get to meet my mother. But that’s where I grew up with her. And when I was there I just felt like ‘Oh man, the loss of a parent. It is so intense… but I was like ‘At least I have these two. Where I can tell the story of her’. I just felt so blessed.”

From a supporting cast member on The Office to multi-faceted businessperson, Mindy Kaling has built a sprawling career. But she’s done it without forgetting her roots. Kaling isn’t embarrassed by her nerdy past, she has embraced it. What are your thoughts on Mindy Kaling? Let us know down below in the comments section.

Allie Johnson
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