Neil Patrick Harris revealed he realised he was gay after he dated Ben Stiller’s wife

Neil Patrick Harris once revealed he realised he was gay after dating Ben Stiller’s wife.

The 51-year-old How I Met Your Mother star came out aged 33 in 2006 with a statement to People magazine saying: "I am happy to dispel any rumours or misconceptions and am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest and feel most fortunate to be working with wonderful people in the business I love."

Before coming out, Harris was romantically linked to Arrested Development star, Christine Taylor.

Neil Patrick Harris once dated Christine Taylor who would go on to become Ben Stiller's wife (Manny Carabel / Stringer / Getty Images)

The pair first started dating back in 1997, but eventually split the following year.

Despite the breakup, Harris and Taylor remained amicable - but the actor later took the brunt of the blame for their failed romance.

A decade after their split, and two years after Harris had publicly come out as a 'very content gay man', he discussed what caused them to call time on their relationship during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show in 2008.

The American Horror Story actor said of Taylor: "She's the coolest, nicest chick ever. She's an absolute catch, and I thought, 'If I'm not going to feel the super sparks with her... it probably means I'm gay.'"

Harris and his husband David Burtka with their children, Harper and Gideon (Instagram/@nph)

Harris later tied the knot with husband David Burtka, 49, in 2014 after first going public with their relationship in 2007.

They became parents to twins Gideon and Harper - who are 14 years old - after a surrogate carried and gave birth to them in 2010.

Speaking to American broadcaster and journalist Barbara Walters in 2014, Harris explained: "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."

Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor tied the knot in 2000 (Kennedy Pollard / Stringer / Getty Images)

Harris also explained that he has no interest in finding out which of his twins are his biologically.

And as for Taylor?

Well, she went on to strike up a romance with Ben Stiller, who she met in 1999 while they were both filming sci-fi TV comedy Heat Vision and Jack.

The comedic couple also appeared alongside each other in films Zoolander, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Tropic Thunder, and Zoolander 2 as well as in the TV series Arrested Development and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

They share children Ella, 22, and Quinlin, 19, together.

While Taylor and Stiller separated in 2017 after 17 years of marriage, they later reconciled after the actor moved back into the family home during the pandemic.