Inside Neil Patrick Harris' family life with husband David Burtka and twins Harper and Gideon


The How I Met Your Mother alum and the professional chef have been together for two decades, and are parents to 15-year-old twins


David Burtka and Neil Patrick Harris pose at the opening night of "The Queen of Versailles" on Broadway at The St. James Theatre on November 9, 2025 in New York City© Getty Images
Beatriz Colon
Beatriz ColonNew York Writer - New York
November 19, 2025
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He may be known as Barney Stinson to some, or Doogie Howser to others, but at home, Neil Patrick Harris is just dad (and hubby)!

On Tuesday, November 18, the How I Met Your Mother alum's husband David Burtka stepped out alongside the couple's daughter Harper, 15, who looked all grown up as she attended the Wicked: For Good premiere with her father.

Harper is one of two kids, twins, that the pair have; they are also parents to son Gideon, who did not appear to be in attendance.

Catch up on all about the Burtka-Harris family below, from David and Neil's love story to growing their family.

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David Burtka and Neil Patrick Harris  at the 61st Annual Tony Awards in 2007© FilmMagic

Neil and David's early dating days

Neil and David met the old-fashioned way, passing each other on the street, and went on their first date shortly after, in April 2004. It wasn't until two years later, shortly after season two of How I Met Your Mother started airing, that Neil came out as gay, and it wasn't until 2007 that he confirmed he was in a relationship, making their red carpet debut at the Tony Awards a few months later.

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neil patrick harris family© Getty Images for NYCWFF

Building a family and tying the knot

In August 2010, Neil confirmed that he and David were officially expecting twins, via a surrogate, and the two, Harper Grace and Gideon Scott, arrived in October of that year. The following June, after the legalization of gay marriage in New York City, the two got engaged, and later tied the knot in Italy on September 6, 2014, just shy of a year before same sex marriage was legalized in all 50 states.

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photo of david burtka and daughter harper in green sequinned dress© Getty Images for Universal Pict

Meet David

David grew up in Michigan, and made his television debut in 2002 with a guest role on Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing. He later worked in theatre, before taking a break from acting and pursuing a full-time culinary career; he graduated from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Pasadena in 2009 and later founded a Los Angeles catering company, Gourmet MD, with a classmate.

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neil patrick harris family© Instagram

The twins

Giving insight into the twins' personalities when they were four years old, David, during an appearance on The Wendy Williams Show, confirmed that Harper takes after him, and Gideon after Neil. "She's like, 'Hey everybody, I'm here!'" she said of Harper, adding of Gideon: "He's a little more heady and intellectual."

Save for occasional snaps on social media and appearances like the Wicked: For Good premiere, while they are still teenagers in school, Neil and David keep their kids largely out of the public eye.

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Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka with their twins Harper and Gideon

They live in East Hampton

For several years, Neil and Patrick were famously the owners of an eccentric brownstone in Harlem, at 2036 Fifth Avenue, between 125th and 126th Streets, which they listed in 2021, and per a New York Times article that year, they have since made their 13.5-acre estate in East Hampton their primary residence.

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