Neil Patrick Harris’ twins aim savage jab at their dads in rare speech
Topics: Neil Patrick Harris, Celebrity
Ben Williams
Featured Image Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Family Equality
Topics: Neil Patrick Harris, Celebrity
Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka’s teenage twins made a rare public appearance this week, and it’s safe to say they had the room laughing.
The How I Met Your Mother star and his husband were honoured at Family Equality’s gala in New York City, where they received the Luminary Award.
The award was presented to the couple by Elton John and David Furnish, with the event celebrating their work and visibility as parents within the LGBTQ+ community.
Harris and Burtka were joined at the ceremony by their 15-year-old children, Gideon and Harper, who took to the stage to give a speech about their dads.
Advert
Still, rather than simply keeping things emotional, the twins used the moment to make a few jokes at their parents’ expense.
In footage shared by Entertainment Tonight, Gideon could be seen standing at the podium with Harper as their dads watched on nearby.
Gideon teased: “We had twice the dad jokes, and zero the improvement.”
Harper then followed with a reference to one of Harris’ most famous roles, telling the audience: “Whenever I’m confused or doubting myself, papa just turns to me and repeats the family motto: ‘What would Doogie do?’”
The joke was a nod to Harris’ breakout role in Doogie Howser, M.D., in which he played a teenage doctor.
It’s more than easy to watch the video and think Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka's 15-year-old twins definitely got their dads’ love for humour, with ‘adorable’ jokes aimed at the parents during the gala.
Photos from the event showed the family on stage together in front of Family Equality branding, as well as posing for group pictures during the evening.
Harris and Burtka, who married in 2014 after first going public with their relationship in 2007, welcomed Gideon and Harper in 2010 via surrogate. The couple has previously spoken about becoming parents, with Harris saying the twins were conceived using an anonymous egg donor and sperm from both him and Burtka.
He has also said they have chosen not to find out which child is biologically related to which parent.
The twins have been seen only occasionally over the years, with fans often getting glimpses of them through family photos shared during holidays and special occasions.
Earlier this year, fans were left stunned after seeing how grown-up Gideon and Harper looked during a red carpet appearance for The Lost Boys on Broadway.
Many admitted they still remembered the pair as young children from the family’s annual Halloween photos.
Now, their latest appearance has given fans another rare look at the teenagers, who seemed more than comfortable making jokes in front of a crowd.