Neil Patrick Harris went to great lengths to protect what he held dear, yet still faced the music from nosy people.
The actor revealed how he managed to keep his sizzling romance with David Burtka under the radar in an era where media attention fixated on homosexual relationships was awfully toxic.
Neil Patrick Harris and his husband dated for a decade before they tied the knot in 2014, four years after welcoming fraternal twins Harper Grace and Gideon Scott via a surrogate in 2010.
Harris explained on the latest episode of the “Great Company” podcast that he was already in a relationship with Burtka when he auditioned for “How I Met Your Mother.”
He added that everyone on the show knew what was happening with them romantically, but he harbored a fear that he might be the next subject of the ruthless tabloid at the time.
“That was at a time when there were bloggers on the internet that you would go to read the salacious, ‘Try to guess who this actor is that’s gay and in the closet’ comment. There was a fear that I would be, like, the next target on that,” the movie star explained.
In the middle of all that fear, he recalled attending red carpets alongside Burtka and how they would strategically avoid posing for pictures together to throw off the scent of a possible romance or chemistry.
He stressed that while they could avoid discussing their private lives and justify it by focusing solely on their careers, the dynamic made Burtka feel diminished, especially as he was forced to remain in the background while Harris shone.
The Actor Was Eventually Forced To Come Out
Harris continued to the podcast host Jamie Laing that his worst fears eventually came to pass and he found himself in the eye of the hurricane about rumors surrounding his sexuality. He recalled someone asking a publicist about his sexuality, and the publicist did not give an answer the media wanted to hear.
“That turned into, ‘That’s weird for him to say because we know that he’s gay, and why is he doing that?’ Then it became, ‘I’m gonna have to say something,’” Harris continued. He noted that his instinct was to swing into action and get ahead of the story as he did not want to be blackmailed.
Harris then worked with his agent and publicist to craft a captivating coming-out story in 2006, and he nursed a concern for the stigma that would trail his confession because it was the trend to come out after gay people at the time.
Fortunately for the actor, he was able to scale through, as many people were also coming out at the time, and his story did not exactly surprise many people.
Neil Patrick Harris And David Burtka’s Twins May Be Following Them Into Show Business
In June, the couple linked up with E! News at the Tony Awards to rave about finally attaining the cool parent status with their kids. The couple’s 15-year-old twins reportedly approved of their parenting style, and the couple has reciprocated the entertainment with their impeccable sense of humor.
Burtka shared that their verdict did not come only from within; he also sought confirmation from external sources, which came back green. Friends of the twins revealed to Burtka, after some light investigation, that the kids genuinely like having them as parents and consider them “cool dads.”
On the flipside, Burtka and Harris have realized that raising increasingly independent high schoolers has also required them to adjust their roles. Burtka explained that their children are reaching the age when they want more freedom and may not always want their parents hovering nearby.
As Harper and Gideon get older, Harris believes they could eventually gravitate toward entertainment, although he would rather they avoid repeating his experience of becoming a professional actor at a young age. Instead, Harris hoped they would attend college, study their interests, and then decide whether performing is right for them.
Inside Their Beautiful Love Story
In 2004, sparks flew as soon as Harris and Burtka set eyes on each other on that street corner, and they ended up going to the movies for their first date. As noted by The Blast, Harris came out as gay in 2006 in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, where he admitted to being content with his sexuality and living his life to the fullest.
The actor publicly confirmed his relationship in 2007 on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” although he kept Burtka’s identity under wraps. A few months after that talk show appearance, they made their red carpet debut at the Emmy Awards that same year.
Three years later, the couple announced they were going to be parents via surrogacy. On their ninth anniversary, the couple shared images of their love with the whole world to see, reiterating and reassuring their love for each other.
Burtka celebrated Harris’ 50th birthday in the same manner, praising him as the best partner who has made their connection a beautiful and genuine one over the years.
Neil Patrick Harris’ Age Gap Crush On Nick Jonas Landed Him In Hot Water
In 2022, The Blast reported that a 2015 interview Harris gave on “The Wendy Williams Show” resurfaced, in which he admitted he had a huge crush on Nick Jonas.
Years later, Harris’ truth came back to haunt him as he got slammed for not considering the wide age gap between himself and Jonas before revealing that so publicly.
In a clip from the segment, Harris admitted to Ellen that discussing such feelings might be a bit controversial given their age gap. But he justified it with an excuse that Jonas’ good looks were enough to pique his interest.
Although Harris was married to Burtka at the time, he shared that his partner had no reservations about his decision to speak his truth. At the time of the interview, Nick was 23 years old while Harris was 49.
