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Neil Patrick Harris, partner David Burtka, are each biological father of one of their twins
Hope you are not confused by my headline!
So as you well know, the 2010 Greggy winners for Couple of the Year Neil Patrick Harris and David Burkta became parents of twins in October.
In case you were wondering whose sperm was used to inseminate the surrogate mother, here is your answer: “We inserted two eggs, one with my sperm, one with David’s sperm and they both took,” he tells People Magazine.
David said holding their children in the delivery room shortly after their birth was “just absolute joy,” says Burtka. “We had two babies that we made. With help.”
“Everyone says that it’s such a blur after it happens,” says Neil says of becoming parents to fraternal twins Harper Grace and Gideon Scott, born Oct. 12 via surrogate. “I find myself constantly just trying to wrap my mind around it.”
The family just moved into a “more kid-friendly” home in the Hollywood Hills and the twins have a new nursery with an old-school Disney theme park décor.
“Harper has been fussy but Gideon is the easiest baby in the world,” says David. “They’re just now starting to recognize us and smile.”
Adds Neil: “I just love the way they smell. And we can use them as an excuse to get out of almost anything. That’s cleared the calendar in a good way.”
For more of Harris and Burtka’s interview, including exclusive photos of their twins, pick up this week’s issue of PEOPLE on newsstands Friday.
Comments
(All comments are reviewed before being published, and I review submissions several times per day.)
janitor says:
“Surrogate mother”? Who here would be the “real” mother?
Ulmer says:
Their sisters… in reverse, non-inbreeding order of course!
Rosemarie says:
I don’t like that people use women as a kind of birth machine. Rufus Wainwright showed that two men are able to share parentship with the woman who carried the baby. Sorry guys, with your decisiion you showed a huge lack of respect for women in general and for the surrogate mother.
Laura says:
I think it’s just cute. I mean they’re in love and now they’ve got their own kids. If the woman has a problem, she had a bad break, she needn’t do that.
laura says:
I think gay marriage is w r o n g. I never once thought that neal patrick harris was a gay boy….that’s terrible.
Maike says:
I think, Laura is wrong. And a really really terrible person.
And she posts really dated points of view without any reasonable backup so she is kind of stupid, too.
Sorry, neal. Some people just can’t deal with their own lives so they always have to find somebody they can judge for no reason at all.
How can love be wrong if it makes two people incredible happy?
angela says:
Very sad!!! If it was “Normal” to be gay why cant they reproduce on their own?? No gay or lesbian can have a child without the help of the opposite sex!! This should make you think if it was normal why can’t 2 men have a child? Nasty when you think about it that they poop out of the same place they are supposed to be “intimate” as they refer to it… God help them!! Very sad!!
J says:
I’m shocked of all the hatred against those guys. I understand that they want kids in their life and I don’t think that giving birth to a child for two man is a thing to be ashamed of. You should rather be ashamed of your homophobic comments.
Gosh!!! >_<
Mariana says:
@angela:
Oh my God! This is your REAL opinion about gay people? First of all: Even heterosexuals practice anal sex, don’t know if you knew that ;-P
Secondly: Is it nasty to think that men pee out of the same place they are supposed to be intimate to a woman? What kind of idea do you have about sex and sexual intercourse?
Finally: If they want to be a happy couple, why not? Homosexuality is not all about sex – neither is heterosexuality. A good relationship is based on respect, tenderness, care for the partner etc. And, of course, also the wish to share everything, to have a family, a home etc.
Something else to think about: There are many couples who cannot have their own children, even being heterosexual. Is it perverted to adopt a child or to have a surrogate mother help them? Just think about that, you hypocrites!
B says:
@angela and laura: omg. You must have been hated a lot in your childhood. Your incompetence and your lack of tolerance makes me sick.
@Mariana: if i wouldn’t have read this news this late, i would’ve written the same words that you did.
Let them be a couple, let them have children. Would it be a bad thing if they have adopted them instead of “giving them birth”? It doesn’t matter what gender you are.
Quote: I’m beautiful in my way, cause god makes no mistake, i’m on the right track, baby i was born this way.
FUCK HATERS!!
Helena says:
Nice pics of Patrick and David: they’re a good looking couple who fathered adorable babies; beautiful family!
Rosie says:
I Can’t believe the absurdity of the above homophobic comments!
OMG (Laura, Angela) Who raised you! You should be ashamed of your small minded, un-evolved, disgusting and ABNORMAL views, wake up you freaks…. Why are you so arrogant to believe you are any authority on what is and what is not normal? People like you make me so embarrassed so call myself human.
Dawn says:
I think it’s wonderful, two people sharing their lives with children, if the rest of the people don’t like the choice of the partner they chose oh well.
Katharina says:
I’ve seen the babies on pictures and they are so cute. I’m very impressed how Neil and David are doing this. Me and my boyfriend are big fans of himym and neil patrick harris and we think that everybody should get the chance to have children. I would have loved to grow up in such a lovely surrounding.
)
(Sorry if i made mistakes in grammar; my english is not the best
Sherry says:
Hey homophobes Laura & Angela, there is no god. Wake up and accept that this is not 1812, it is 2012 and your thinking is archaic!
All the best to Neil, David & their beautiful family!
Neo says:
How happy do these guys look?? And fathering two adorable babies too… Wow. I love how ‘in tune’ they always seem to be. I’m a gay woman and I find it so liberating to see people from our community showing the critics/homophobes that it CAN be done!!! That you can be gay, a parent, and AWESOME all at once. They both deserve a high five.
Jennifer Jones says:
People who think that Neil and David disrespected and violated women’s ability to reproduce are insane. It isn’t like they held a gun to the surrogate mother’s head and said “If you don’t carry our children for us, we’ll ruin your life.” No. That woman agreed to help these men out. She knew that they wanted nothing more than to be fathers, and being a father simply isn’t possible without a mother to carry the child to term. I can’t stand overly feminist women who think they are too good to help out a family in need. The ability to give birth is just about the only unique quality we women share. Where else would the two lovers be able to have children that contain their actual DNA? It isn’t scientifically possible! An embryo/fetus cannot grow outside of a human host. And in order to make a child, you need both sperm AND egg. So where does the egg come from? A WOMAN! You feminists need to get over the anatomy of our reproductive system.
Maria says:
I think they’re just an awesome family in their own way and that’s totally acceptable, because they love each other and they love their children.
I can definitely not stand people who are so 16th century and just simply small minded like Laura and Angela. You two (and everyone else who’s sharing their thoughts) should be ashamed of what you’re saying here. I mean, can’t they be happy together? Can’t they love each other? Can’t they have their own little family? Can’t they be loving and caring parents? This is just stupid.
I this loan mother thing would be allowed in my country, I would definitely think about giving birth to the children of a gay couple who need help. But this is just my opinion, not every woman is supposed to think that way. They – and of course men, too – should accept, that there are many gay people out there who are not different from heterosexual people, they fall in love like everyone of us.
Respect that.
clazzy says:
First of all… How does 2 separate sperms = twins? Second, I saw them on Oprah and Neil was scary holding the one baby… holding this child telling her to hold her legs straight!!! and balancing her in the palm of his hand … well away from his body … which would be hard to catch her if and when SHE FALLS on her head!
He is a DUPHUS! Duphus Howser?! Dopie Howser?!
Now we know why Men shouldnt be the caretakers of babies,,, he even said, he doesnt change the diapers! He is WEIRD!
clazzy says:
BOTH KIDS LOOK LIKE DAVID!
Liz says:
I happened to stumble accross this website and I’m devastated about the way some of you judge about homosexuality and how you dare to judge about other peoples lifes. I’m German and let me tell you that one of the major stereotypes that exist about US-Americans is that they are superficial and narrow minded. I lived in the US for some time and I know that these stereotypes aren’t true for the great majority of the population. Nevertheless, you should be very careful with such homophobic expressions. As the world tends to move closer together, everyone from (almost) every country who uses facebook can read these statements. And to be honest, this doesn’t improve the American reputation at all…It is very sad, that a nation, that prides itself with bringing democracy to “deprived” countries cannot even cope with subjects as little as homosexuality. It makes me really sad to see how some people are brought up by there parents without being taught the basic values of human coexistence..Love is one of the most valuable things of humanity. No matter if this means a man loving a woman or a man loving a man or a woman loving a woman. If this was not supposed to be, it wouldn’t exist. Frankly spoken, a child that grows up having a gay couple as parents in a functioning, happy family get call himself very lucky when compared to a child that grows up in a family that misses to teach their children respect and tolerance.
Susan says:
Homophobes should be put in one part of the country together so they can live in peace together, until they find another group of people to hate among themselves.
Tracey says:
My husband and I just celebrated our first Grandchild’s second birthday. Today, October 21, and I recalled these beautiful children would have just celebrated their birthday also. Happy Birthday to two very wanted children. Our Granddaughter was not planned. My son and his girlfriend did not plan for her. They have stepped up and are making it quite well. She is loved above and beyond the rainbow . Not one of us can imagine a life without her. BUT When I think of how wanted, wished and planned for these twins were, it sickens me to realize that anyone would think that they have a right to diminish the love that it took for this Daddy and Papa to create these beautiful souls. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
Isabella says:
How amazing! They both are beautiful babies!I think its great! And i know these beautiful miracles have great dads! Its so sweet! And Harper Grace and Gideon Scott are wonderful names!!
Alexandra says:
Wow! They are fraternal twins with different fathers? That doesn’t happen very often, they must be so proud!
grayswindir says:
So, what happens later in life as these kids start to wonder about Mom? Who she was, how they came to be, where she is now. If they’re bright how do they come to grips with the fact that to their mother, they were just a commodity? A business dealing for two well-to-do men?
linda says:
Has any one heard of if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all. Well maybe your straight parents didn’t teach you manners. Mind own damn businesses
Juliana Fried says:
I am glad that they are happy. Just because people are gay does not mean that they can`t have childern or be happy
Sophia Wakeman says:
I agree with Mariana: Having a relationship is about putting someone first instead of your self.
Rhonda S says:
I just can’t believe the rude homophobic comments. What is wrong with two people loving each other and wanting children. there are many many children being raised by a mom and a dad and are being abused mentally, physically and sexually. I would much rather have my child raised by two loving same sex parents, than two pieces of crap. Bless the surrogate who put someone else’s needs above her own. Wow, those horrible horrible people are obviously going to hell for being decent human beings and loving their children.
Shame on all of you for judging them!
?????? says:
What is wrong with you people leave them alone!? If they are happy just let them be happy. You don’t have to judge somebody because they are not straight.
angie says:
I love Neil and David and their kids are cute and interesting. Haters beware, God Almighty did NOT place you in judgement seat……Genetically I think the whole story is beyond cool…
Deb says:
Harper is definitely Neil’s and Gideon is definitely David’s! They are all adorable!