Neil Patrick Harris Refuses To Learn Which of His Twins Is Biologically His

Oct 09, 2025 by apost team

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka are one of Hollywood’s most adorable couples. The pair is known for their beautiful family photographs starring their twins Gideon Scott and Harper Grace, whom they had via surrogacy in 2010. Harris and Burtka each have a successful career in the entertainment industry and have even shared the screen. However, their amazing chemistry in real life has made them successful in their marriage and lovable to many fans worldwide.

Harris has many talents, including acting, singing, writing and producing. He has appeared in several films, theatrical productions, and television shows, some of his most famous being “How I Met Your Mother,” “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” and “Doogie Howser, M.D.” His work has earned him several awards and award nominations over the years. Harris has also hosted a variety of award shows and was the first openly gay man to host the Academy Awards.

Burtka is also a man of many talents. He is best known for his roles as an actor and professional chef. Some of his acting roles originated from theater productions and television shows, including “How I Met Your Mother” alongside Harris.

Over the years, Harris has made an outstanding name for himself as a strong performer and dedicated family man. It’s no surprise that fans have grown to love Harris’s family almost as much as Harris and Burtka love their set of twins! As their twins have grown up, Harris confessed that he didn’t want to know who the kids’ biological father is. Read on to find out more about Harris’s decision to conceal his children’s biological origins.

While it may seem like they are the picture-perfect couple, Harris and Burtka have discussed how they navigate tough times together. Burtka told Life & Style in 2017: “We go to couples therapy,” he continued, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it’s nice to sort of just talk to someone who is a mediator. That’s helped our relationship.” This type of commitment and communication between the pair has served them well, as they remain strong.

The couple has a beautiful family consisting of twins Harper and Gideon, whom they welcomed via surrogacy on Oct. 12, 2010. According to PEOPLE, Burtka believes that Harper is biologically his, as she’s more of an attention-grabber, whereas he thinks Gideon is likely Harris's, as he’s “a little more heady and intellectual.” The family enjoys making memories together, like going to Disney.

In an interview with PEOPLE, Harris revealed that his family travels to Disney World in Orlando yearly at Christmas. In fact, he stated that he would continue taking his kids to the resort every year until they "can't stand" him anymore. Harris said:

"Our kids have grown up appreciating and valuing not only the amusement rides, but the architecture and the Imagineering that goes on, both in front and behind the scenes."

He added, "So I still look back on how that has been an important part of their lives, and I can't wait to continue it until they can't stand me anymore." He also explained that his twins have traveled "since they were less than 1 year old." 

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Speaking about what they're like to travel with, Harris said:

"They're good, they like to travel. It gives them extra time to play on their screens, which is the greatest dangling carrot advice anyone can give. Let them sit and watch things that they want to watch when they're on an airplane because it's a great diversion."

During an interview on “The Tonight Show,” Harris said that his son loves video games while his daughter has become a huge fan of horror movies. So when Harper asked, “Papa, what is the scariest movie that you’ve ever seen?” Harris was adamant about not answering, but eventually caved, leading her to watch the 1980 horror film “The Shining.” Surprisingly, Harper said that “The Shining” didn’t scare her, although Harris revealed that she slept in his and Burtka’s bed for the following four nights.

Still, Harris’ twins are growing up. Speaking with E! Online, the actor discussed how it feels to be a father to almost-teenagers: “You spend a lot of time with kids as parents, trying to instill values and humor and agency with them.” he stated: “Now that they’re older and they don’t like you anymore, you can sort of see how that plays out.” Harris added:

“I really, firmly believe in karma. I tell my kids a lot, ‘You have opportunities to make good or not-so-good choices. Hold the door open for someone, not because you want something good to happen to you, but because the person has bags in their hands, and you want to be a nice person.’”

According to TODAY, Harris called his children “kind, smart, clever, hilarious, savvy, intuitive, ingenious.” He added,

“They are my absolute prides and joys. I love them with every ounce of my being.”

Like many parents who turned to surrogacy to conceive a child naturally, Harris doesn’t want to know who the biological father of their children is. Speaking to Barbara Walters, Harris was firm in his decision not to know this crucial information. He explained, as quoted by CTV News:

"I have no interest in (finding out). We are their parents, and I love them implicitly."

He continued:

"We inserted one of my sperm and one of David's sperm into two eggs with the hope that they would both take, just because we both wanted to be dads biologically – Both took, miraculously.”

As Gideon and Harper aged, Burtka and Harris experienced parenting woes, and he cheerfully talked about them with Entertainment Tonight: "We keep being told that at a certain point, they're going to hate us. That hasn't happened yet. So you know, so far, so good!" Harris joked, prompting Burtka to add: "They're good kids. We've done a good job. You know, you put the work in and you get it back, you know?"

Speaking to New Potato, Burtka revealed that the best thing about being a dad is spending time with his kids, hearing them laugh, and watching them grow into their own individuals. On the other hand, Burtka continued to gush about Harper and Gideon in a heartfelt message on his Instagram in 2022:

“Happy 12th GOLDEN Birthday to these incredible kids! I can’t believe how fast this has all gone! I am so proud of how you are growing up. You are sweet, caring, compassionate, creative and you have the best sense of humor. I am proud to be your dad and I can’t wait to see how the next 12 years evolve. I couldn’t ask for better kids!” 

What can you say about Neil Patrick Harris? Do you think they should know who’s the children’s biological father? Do you know someone who also holds the same belief as him? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends, and other loved ones!