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

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:Jamie McCarthy/Getty

Jamie McCarthy/Getty

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

The pair tied the knot in July 2010 andwelcomed twinsHazel 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

Michelle Buteau Instagram

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 onInstagram. “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 hisLinkedIn 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 HealthandFast Company, according to hisofficial 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.

He married Buteau in 2010

The couple tied the knot in July 2010 in a traditional wedding ceremony. TheSurvival of the Thickeststar 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.

He’s a dad to twins

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 forTheNew York Timesand 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.”

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 specialWelcome to Buteaupia, she explained how her favorite activity is watching90 Day Fiancéon 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, perInsider.

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

He is supportive of Buteau’s career

John Nacion/WireImage

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’sSurvival of the Thickestin July.

When her 2024 Netflix comedy special,Michelle Buteau: A Buteau-ful Mind,was released, she toldUSA Todaythat her husband “made me feel like anything was possible.”

“My life changed when I had someone who truly understood me and what I could do. And the older I get, I just want to know that I’ve done everything I could to make me happy,” Buteau said.

Buteau jokes about him in her comedy routines

Michelle Buteau and Gijs van der Most at the 55th NAACP Image Awards on March 16, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.John Salangsang/Variety/Getty

John Salangsang/Variety/Getty

During an interview withVarietyin 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.

source: people.com