Who Is Michelle Buteau’s Husband? All About Gijs van der Most

Michelle Buteau and her husband, photographer Gijs van der Most, have been together for more than a decade.

The pair tied the knot in July 2010 and welcomed twins Hazel and Otis in September 2019 via surrogate. While the couple are generally private, Buteau often includes anecdotes of their life together in her stand-up comedy specials and has spoken fondly of him in interviews.

In September 2020, Buteau told PEOPLE that despite thinking she would never get married, she “always wanted kids” and knew she hit the jackpot when she met her husband.

“It’s so crazy when you find a partner that you actually like that is good for you that makes you want to feel like you can do anything,” the comedian said. “And that makes you feel like you want to also be a better person.”

She added, “And then having kids with them, it was just like ‘Good night. Good night, everybody.’ And I ended up like, ‘There’s not enough champagne to celebrate what we got going on.’ ”

So, who is Michelle Buteau’s husband? Here’s everything to know about Gijs van der Most.

He’s from the Netherlands

Van der Most was born in the Netherlands and lived in Amsterdam for many years before relocating to New York City, where he now lives with Buteau.

On Sept. 15, 2018, the comedian posted a sweet birthday tribute to her husband on Instagram. “Happy birthday to the best life partner my freckled face could ever ask for. the world is hella better with you in it gijs aka b-o-b 💓 #dutchusbands,” she captioned a photo of van der Most with their dog.

He’s a photographer

Since January 2008, van der Most has been working as a professional photographer, according to his LinkedIn profile. Before starting his career, he studied photographic design at The Utrecht School for Arts (HKU) in the Netherlands from 2000 to 2005.

The photographer’s work has been featured in several publications, including PEOPLE, Esquire, Men’s Health and Fast Company, according to his official website.

He owns a furniture business

In addition to being a photographer, van der Most co-owns a furniture business called Van der Most Modern with Buteau, which has a physical location in Bushwick, New York.

Van der Most Modern offers a collection of furniture and décor pieces curated and personally sourced from the Netherlands by Van der Most, per to the company’s website.

He married Buteau in 2010

The couple tied the knot in July 2010 in a traditional wedding ceremony. The Survival of the Thickest star wore a white mermaid gown with a ruched bodice and a crystal brooch, while her husband donned a black three-piece suit that included a striped ascot tie and matching trousers.

In 2020, they celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary. Buteau commemorated the occasion by posting one of their wedding photos to Instagram with the caption: “Today makes 10 years ✨ if I knew then what I know now, I’d still do that s—. Love is everythang y’all.”

He’s a dad to twins

Buteau and van der Most welcomed twins, Hazel and Otis, via surrogate in January 2019. Buteau shared the news with her fans by posting a photo of herself holding the newborns on Instagram.

“And just like that…we went from a family of two to four. Husband and I welcomed twins (a boy and a girl) via surrogate this past weekend,” she wrote in the caption. “After years of trying, countless needles #ivf and too many procedures to remember…it was well worth every tear. Baby Hazel and Otis are my rainbow at the end of the storm.”

The comedian had been very open about their journey to becoming parents. In September 2020, the actress opened up to PEOPLE about how her husband was the one to encourage her to consider surrogacy after going through multiple rounds of in vitro fertilization.

“My husband said, ‘You know, I want you back. You are so unhappy and just physically wrecked,’ ” she shared. “I didn’t know anyone that did it. I didn’t have anyone to talk to about it. I just researched. I found an agency through my doctor where these women are just walking angels on Earth who find helping someone make their dreams come true the best thing ever.”

While Buteau hadn’t expected to take the surrogacy route, she said she was “forever thankful” to her surrogate and that it’s “so beautiful that that is even a choice.” As for the first time she was able to hold her babies, the actress called it a “miracle.”

“You can imagine what they look like but it doesn’t mean anything until you see them and you’re like, ‘Who is this little person? I’m so glad I got to meet this soul,’ ” she told PEOPLE.

He and Buteau have different parenting styles

In December 2020, Buteau wrote a personal essay for The New York Times and discussed how she and her husband have very different approaches to parenting. While van der Most is from the Netherlands, where Buteau says people are “pretty chill about parenting,” the comedian grew up in New Jersey with a Jamaican mother who “was a pretty safe, zero-risk kind of mom.”

“These differences in our backgrounds have created an interesting push-and-pull. And by ‘interesting,’ I mean annoying,” Buteau wrote. “To my husband, I’m not just a helicopter mom. I’m a drone-on-top-of-a-snowplow mom. To me, my husband is too casual and relaxed.”

She added, “I’m constantly thinking, ‘OK, which pens, coins or sharp items on the floor can they put in their mouths?’ … ‘Are all the electrical outlets plugged in or covered?’ In the meantime, my husband is letting them climb a bookcase. And when they can’t get down, he says, ‘Figure it out’ in Dutch. Figure what out, exactly? How many stitches they will need?”

He likes outdoor activities

Buteau and van der Most also have contrasting hobbies. In the comedian’s 2020 Netflix special Welcome to Buteaupia, she explained how her favorite activity is watching 90 Day Fiancé on the couch, whereas her husband prefers to explore the outdoors.

“The other day my man hit me with, he’s just like, ‘Oh, babe, do you want to climb a mountain?’ I said, ‘Emotionally?’ ‘Cause as a Black woman I do that every day,” Buteau joked, per Insider.

Even though she jokes about their different hobbies, Buteau does occasionally join her husband on some of his outdoor adventures. The couple went on a camping trip in March 2021 and, a few months later, went paddleboarding while on vacation in Greece.

He is supportive of Buteau’s career

While van der Most mainly stays out of the spotlight (his Instagram profile is set to private), he’s very supportive of his wife’s career.

In March 2023, the couple attended the 75th Annual Writers Guild Awards, which Buteau hosted. He also joined Buteau at the New York premiere of Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest in July.

Most recently, Van der Most was by his wife’s side at the NAACP Image Awards in March 2024. Buteau took home the award for outstanding breakthrough creative (TV).

Buteau jokes about him in her comedy routines

During an interview with Variety in September 2020, the comedian explained that although she does share some aspects of her personal life in her projects, there’s “always a fine line” between what to use as a joke and what to keep to herself.

“Everybody doesn’t need to know everything, but I try to be respectful — I try not to be an a–hole when it comes to talking about my family and my extended family because I don’t want people to feel like they can’t be themselves in front of me or that they don’t trust me,” she said.