Mindy Kaling is the latest celebrity to spark plastic surgery rumors following her 2025 “Jimmy Kimmel Live” appearance to promote her Netflix series “Running Point.” “You look very glamorous. You look very beautiful,” Kimmel gushed as Kaling took her seat. She was wearing a black sparkly dress that cinched at her waist, and her hair was styled in a deep side part with loose waves. For years now, Kaling has been rumored to have undergone plastic surgery, and her latest look has practically everyone saying the same thing. “Mindy didn’t look like this when she was in ‘The Office’… did she?” noted one commenter. “I mean… [that was] 10 years ago. But she’s aged well no?” Another didn’t hesitate to ask: “Did she get a nose job?”
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Whether it’s the weight loss, surgical enhancements, or just makeup, “The Mindy Project” creator certainly looked different before the plastic surgery rumors about her started circulating (see above). To gain an expert’s perspective, we spoke with New York Facial Plastic Surgeon Dr. Joel Kopelman, who claimed that Kaling’s head-turning transformation might not actually involve surgery. “Weight loss, especially the kind she’s discussed publicly, can drastically slim and reshape the face. That alone can create sharper jawlines, more defined cheekbones, and a completely refreshed look,” he exclusively told Nicki Swift. “Add in aging, makeup, professional styling, and good skincare, and those changes can easily be amplified.”
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However, it’s easy to see why people would assume that Kaling went under the knife to achieve her looks. On Reddit, some accused the actor of “ruining her face with so much plastic surgery,” from lip fillers to chin implants to rhinoplasty and even skin bleaching. But according to Kopelman, there’s nothing that definitively suggests Kaling has had such extreme enhancements.
Mindy Kaling is au naturel
Looking at before and after pictures of Mindy Kaling, Dr. Joel Kopelman said that her drastic transformation could just as well be due to minimal enhancements like filler and Botox rather than plastic surgery. “Her forehead looks smooth and line-free, and there may be some subtle volume in her lips or cheeks that could come from injectables,” he told us exclusively. While others suspect that she’s had a rhinoplasty, this could simply be an illusion created by makeup, contouring, and good lighting. Assuming she didn’t go under the knife, as Dr. Kopelman suggests, it’s plausible that Kaling was able to transform through a mix of weight loss, makeup, skincare, and in-office treatments like laser or chemical peels. “In Hollywood, where cosmetic work is common, even natural changes often spark speculation,” the plastic surgeon concluded.
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Although she hasn’t directly addressed the rumors surrounding her transformation, Kaling, who can’t stop showing off her new look, shared her thoughts on the public’s fixation with her appearance in an interview with People in 2023. “I know people are really interested in the changes in my body, and I think it’s flattering,” she began. “But sometimes, it’s just a little much, so I try not to tune into it. The truth is that I spend so much time and energy trying to be healthy.” Following the birth of her children Katherine and Spencer — whose father Kaling has chosen to keep private — she managed to lose a whopping 40 lbs through consistent diet and exercise. “I’m feeling really confident in my body these days, which is not something that I’ve been able to say for my whole life, unfortunately,” she gushed, adding, “I feel great!”
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