Gijs van der Most is a Dutch photographer and entrepreneur who is widely known as Michelle Buteau’s husband. While his marriage to the comedian, actress, writer, and producer has brought him public attention, van der Most has developed a creative career of his own through photography and design. He studied photographic design in the Netherlands, began working professionally as a photographer in 2008, and later became associated with Van der Most Modern, a furniture and design business in Brooklyn. He and Buteau married in July 2010 and became parents to twins Hazel and Otis in January 2019 through gestational surrogacy.
Quick Bio
| Detail | Verified information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Gijs van der Most |
| Known As | Gijs van der Most |
| Profession | Photographer and entrepreneur |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Birthplace | Netherlands; a more specific birthplace has not been reliably established in major public sources |
| Birth Year | Not reliably confirmed by high-quality public sources |
| Education | Photographic design at HKU (Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht) |
| Education Period | 2000–2005, according to his public LinkedIn profile |
| Spouse | Michelle Buteau |
| Marriage | July 2010 |
| Children | Twins Hazel and Otis |
| Children’s Birth | January 2019, through gestational surrogacy |
| Known For | Photography, design entrepreneurship, and his marriage to Michelle Buteau |
| Business | Van der Most Modern |
| Professional Base | Brooklyn/New York area, according to his public professional profile |
| Public Presence | Relatively private compared with his wife |
The available public record presents van der Most primarily as a photographer and design entrepreneur rather than a conventional celebrity. His LinkedIn profile identifies Brooklyn as his location, lists Van der Most Modern as his business, and records his education at HKU from 2000 to 2005. PEOPLE likewise identifies him as a Dutch photographer and entrepreneur who has worked professionally since 2008.
Who Is Gijs van der Most?
Gijs van der Most is a Netherlands-born creative professional whose public career has centered on photography and design. His name appears most frequently in connection with his professional work and his long marriage to Michelle Buteau, but available evidence shows that his career predates and exists independently of his wife’s growing profile in American comedy and television. PEOPLE describes him as a Dutch photographer and entrepreneur, while his professional profile identifies his connection with Van der Most Modern and his studies at HKU in Utrecht.
Unlike Michelle Buteau, who regularly appears in television programs, films, comedy specials, interviews, and entertainment coverage, van der Most has generally maintained a lower public profile. That difference is important when researching his biography because relatively little verified information about his private life has been publicly disclosed. Some biography websites publish specific claims about his date of birth, age, height, birthplace, and other personal characteristics, but those details are not consistently supported by strong primary or major-media sources. For an accurate biography, it is therefore more responsible to distinguish documented professional information from claims that cannot be independently confirmed.
His background is strongly connected to visual creativity. He studied photographic design at HKU, formally developing skills in image-making and visual composition before establishing himself professionally as a photographer. His later involvement with furniture and interior design also reflects an interest in visual aesthetics, although the two fields should not be treated as identical. What can be documented is that photography became his professional field and that he later developed a business centered on furniture and design.
Background in Photography
Photography is one of the clearest and best-documented parts of Gijs van der Most’s professional background. According to his public professional profile, he studied at HKU from 2000 to 2005. PEOPLE reports that he began working professionally as a photographer in 2008, giving his photography career a history that extends well before he became widely searched because of his marriage to Michelle Buteau.
Public profiles and media reports have associated van der Most’s photography with editorial and commercial publications, including PEOPLE and Esquire. Other published accounts have also connected his portfolio with titles such as Men’s Health and Fast Company. Because detailed information about individual assignments is not consistently available from primary sources, it is better to describe his work broadly as professional photography rather than assign him a narrowly defined specialty without stronger documentation.
His education in photographic design provides useful context for understanding his later work. Rather than entering the public eye primarily through entertainment, van der Most trained in a visual discipline and subsequently worked behind the camera. This helps explain why his professional identity is often described using both photography and design. His career has therefore developed around creative observation, visual presentation, and an interest in objects and environments.
Another notable element of his professional story is the relationship between photography and his later furniture business. A profile of Van der Most Modern published by Trendland described the store as an eclectic collection of furniture and décor curated by its founder, Gijs van der Most, and noted his background as a photographer. The article connected his photographic eye with his interest in design and visual form.
Marriage or Relationship with Michelle Buteau
Gijs van der Most and Michelle Buteau met in 2008 and married in July 2010. Their relationship began before Buteau reached the level of mainstream recognition associated with her later television and film work, which makes van der Most part of a significant period in her professional journey. PEOPLE reported that the couple married in July 2010 and have continued their relationship for many years.
Buteau has spoken publicly about the relationship in interviews, offering some insight into how they have maintained their marriage while managing creative careers and family responsibilities. In a 2026 PEOPLE interview, she discussed communication as an important part of their marriage and described van der Most as someone who supported her ambitions from the early stages of her comedy career. The interview also highlighted how their different backgrounds and personalities have become part of their family dynamic.
Their relationship has occasionally appeared at entertainment events, but van der Most has generally remained outside the center of the publicity surrounding his wife. That distinction is reflected in the available coverage: Buteau has a substantial public career, whereas information about van der Most is largely derived from professional profiles, interviews involving his wife, and articles about their family.
Buteau has also incorporated aspects of her relationship into her comedy and public storytelling. Their differences in cultural background and personality have provided material for humorous observations, while her interviews have portrayed him as a supportive partner. These descriptions are Buteau’s own public comments rather than an independent assessment of their marriage, so they are best understood in that context.
Parenthood and Family Life
Gijs van der Most and Michelle Buteau became parents to twins, Hazel and Otis, in January 2019 through gestational surrogacy. PEOPLE reports that the couple had experienced years of difficulties with fertility treatment before turning to surrogacy, while ELLE also documented the couple’s fertility journey and the eventual birth of their twins.
The family’s path to parenthood was publicly discussed primarily by Buteau, who has spoken about multiple rounds of IVF and miscarriages before the successful surrogacy. ELLE reported that the couple eventually moved to Pennsylvania because paid gestational surrogacy was not legal in New York at that time. Their experience subsequently became part of a wider public conversation about fertility, reproductive choices, and the challenges faced by people seeking to become parents.
Buteau has also discussed the couple’s different approaches to parenting. PEOPLE described van der Most as having a somewhat more relaxed parenting style compared with Buteau, while emphasizing that their approaches exist within the same family environment. These details come from interviews with Buteau and should not be interpreted as a complete account of their private family life.
The twins have occasionally appeared in public discussions surrounding Buteau’s work and family life, but their parents have generally maintained boundaries around the children’s privacy. Consequently, there is limited reliable public information about Hazel and Otis beyond their names, their status as twins, and their 2019 birth through surrogacy. Additional personal details about the children have not been treated here because they are not necessary to understanding Gijs van der Most’s biography.
Supporting Through a Difficult Path to Parenthood
One of the most significant publicly documented chapters involving Gijs van der Most is the couple’s journey toward parenthood. Buteau has discussed the difficulties they experienced with IVF and pregnancy loss, and public accounts describe van der Most as participating in the decision-making process that eventually led the couple to pursue gestational surrogacy. PEOPLE reported that he encouraged the move toward surrogacy after the couple had endured years of fertility difficulties.
This period is relevant to van der Most’s biography because it provides context for his family life without requiring speculation about his private feelings. Buteau has been candid about the experience in interviews, and her public accounts establish that the process involved repeated fertility treatments and miscarriages before the twins were born. ELLE documented the same broader history and explained the legal circumstances that influenced the couple’s decision to use a surrogate in Pennsylvania.
Their experience later became connected to Buteau’s public advocacy surrounding gestational surrogacy in New York. According to ELLE, Buteau advocated for changes to New York law, with the state’s Child-Parent Security Act taking effect in February 2021. That legislative development is primarily part of Buteau’s public story, but it also provides context for the circumstances surrounding the couple’s path to parenthood.
Because van der Most himself maintains a relatively limited public profile, most available information about this period comes through interviews and profiles featuring Buteau. It would therefore be inaccurate to attribute detailed personal reactions or motivations to him unless he has publicly stated them.
Life After the Birth of Their Twins
After Hazel and Otis were born in 2019, family life became an important part of Buteau’s public storytelling while van der Most continued to remain comparatively private. The couple balanced raising twins with demanding creative careers, and Buteau continued expanding her work across stand-up comedy, television, film, writing, and producing. PEOPLE has described van der Most as a supportive partner during that period, while Buteau has repeatedly spoken about the importance of their partnership.
The years following the twins’ birth also coincided with major developments in Buteau’s career. She became increasingly recognized through projects including Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest and her stand-up work, while continuing to build a broader entertainment career. Van der Most’s connection to those developments is principally that of her husband and family partner rather than a cast member or creative collaborator on those productions.
He has nevertheless remained involved in creative business activity. His association with Van der Most Modern placed him within Brooklyn’s design and vintage-furniture community, giving the family another professional connection outside the entertainment industry. Public information about the business varies over time, and current operational details should not be assumed from older profiles, but historical reporting clearly identifies van der Most as the founder or owner associated with the venture.
Career Highlights and Public Recognition
Gijs van der Most’s career highlights are more understated than those of his wife, but his professional history contains several distinct milestones. His formal education in photographic design at HKU provided the foundation for his creative career, followed by professional photography work beginning around 2008. His work has been associated with publications including PEOPLE and Esquire, while other public profiles have listed additional editorial clients and outlets.
His second major professional chapter has involved design and furniture. Van der Most Modern became known as a Brooklyn furniture business offering curated vintage and mid-century pieces. Trendland described the store as being founded and operated by van der Most and emphasized its eclectic selection and Dutch influence. Other sources have similarly identified him as the person behind the business.
His professional profile also provides a useful indication of how he presents his career. LinkedIn identifies him with Van der Most Modern and lists his education at HKU, while also locating him in Brooklyn. This provides stronger evidence for his professional background than websites that publish unverified personal statistics.
Public recognition of van der Most has also increased because of his appearances with Buteau at entertainment events. Photographs from events such as awards ceremonies have helped audiences identify him, but these appearances do not represent the main substance of his career. His documented professional identity remains rooted in photography and design rather than celebrity appearances.
Why People Search for Gijs van der Most
Search interest in Gijs van der Most is closely connected to Michelle Buteau, particularly among viewers who discover him through questions about her personal life. As Buteau’s profile has grown through comedy specials, television, film, and Netflix projects, searches for her husband have naturally increased. PEOPLE and other entertainment publications have published profiles specifically answering questions about who he is, what he does, and how the couple met.
The phrase “Michelle Buteau’s husband” is therefore an important search context for van der Most, but it does not fully describe his professional identity. He is a photographer by training and profession and has also been involved in furniture and design through Van der Most Modern. His career is particularly interesting because it sits outside the entertainment industry even though his marriage connects him to it.
People also search for van der Most because they want to understand the family behind Buteau’s public career. Questions about their marriage date, children, twins, surrogacy journey, and his professional background appear repeatedly in public coverage. Reliable sources establish that the couple married in 2010 and welcomed Hazel and Otis in 2019 through surrogacy.
At the same time, searches sometimes produce claims about his exact age, birthday, physical measurements, birthplace, or net worth that are not adequately supported by authoritative sources. A responsible biography should not repeat such information simply because it appears on multiple low-authority websites. In van der Most’s case, the strongest publicly documented information concerns his photography education, professional career, business activities, marriage, and family.
Privacy, Accuracy and Public Information
Gijs van der Most has a considerably smaller public footprint than Michelle Buteau, so the distinction between confirmed information and online speculation is especially important. His professional LinkedIn profile provides evidence about his education, business association, and location, while PEOPLE and other established publications provide independently reported information about his photography career, marriage, and family.
Some online biography sites publish a precise birth year or date for van der Most, but these claims are inconsistent. For that reason, this article does not state an exact birth date or age as fact. Similarly, a precise current residential address, personal net worth, parents’ identities, or other private family details have not been included because they are either undisclosed, insufficiently verified, or unnecessary to understanding his public biography.
The same principle applies to claims about his professional achievements. It is possible to establish that he studied photographic design, worked professionally as a photographer, and became associated with Van der Most Modern. It is less appropriate to attach unsupported labels such as “famous photographer” or make financial claims without reliable documentation. A useful biography should explain what is known while acknowledging what the public record does not establish.
As of 2026, van der Most remains best understood as a Dutch photographer and design entrepreneur who has maintained a relatively private life while being married to one of the better-known figures in American comedy and television. His public story is therefore a combination of independent creative work, a long-running marriage, parenthood, and a deliberate distance from the level of celebrity exposure experienced by his wife.
Conclusion
Gijs van der Most has built a life that combines photography, design, entrepreneurship, marriage, and family without becoming a conventional entertainment celebrity himself. His education in photographic design at HKU and professional photography career established the creative foundation of his working life, while Van der Most Modern added furniture and design entrepreneurship to his professional identity. His marriage to Michelle Buteau since 2010 has made him familiar to a much wider audience, particularly as Buteau’s career has expanded across comedy, television, film, and writing. Together they became parents to twins Hazel and Otis in 2019 through gestational surrogacy after a difficult fertility journey. Although much of his private life remains undisclosed, the reliable public record provides a clear picture of a Dutch-born creative professional whose story extends beyond simply being known as Michelle Buteau’s husband.
Also read: Stasya Miloslavskaya: Acclaimed Russian Actress and Rising Screen Star
FAQs
Who is Gijs van der Most?
Gijs van der Most is a Dutch photographer and entrepreneur known publicly for his photography career, design business, and marriage to comedian Michelle Buteau.
Who is Michelle Buteau’s husband?
Michelle Buteau’s husband is Gijs van der Most, a Dutch photographer and entrepreneur whom she married in July 2010.
What does Gijs van der Most do?
Gijs van der Most works as a photographer and has also been associated with Van der Most Modern, a Brooklyn furniture and design business.
When did Gijs van der Most marry Michelle Buteau?
Gijs van der Most married Michelle Buteau in July 2010, after the couple had met in 2008 and developed their relationship before her mainstream success.
Does Gijs van der Most have children?
Yes. Gijs van der Most and Michelle Buteau have twins, Hazel and Otis, who were born in January 2019 through gestational surrogacy.
Where did Gijs van der Most study photography?
Gijs van der Most studied photographic design at HKU, or Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht, in the Netherlands from 2000 to 2005.
