In a 2019 interview with The New York Times, Kaling opened up about what went into the decision to not publicly discuss Katherine's father. "My feeling is that until I speak to my daughter about that, I'm not going to talk to anyone else about it," she shared. She wanted to make sure that her child was her first priority — but she also shared that she tends to be much more private than people expect in all areas of her life.

When discussing how her newfound motherhood might fit into her work, she shared that she may draw inspiration from her life, but she's not looking to get autobiographical. "I could write stories about mothers, about my relationship with my daughter — but I don't know," she said. "I think people are often surprised that for someone who seems as open as I am on social media and who writes things that seem drawn from my life, I find that stuff really private."

One day, Kaling may be ready to have that conversation with the public, but for now, she's putting her family first.