Meet Otis and Hazel van der Most, Michelle Buteau's twins
Michelle Buteau’s twins, Otis and Hazel van der Most are her greatest joy, and she will do anything for them after experiencing a long road to motherhood. She told USA Today in 2024,
I want the world for them. I want them to know that they’re never losing, only learning.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Otis and Hazel van der Most were born in 2019.
- Michelle turned to gestational surrogacy after struggling to have children.
- Michelle and her husband Gijs have different parenting styles due to their differing upbringings and cultures. The actress is a mixed Jamaican, French, Haitian, and Lebanese from New Jersey, while Gijs is Dutch.
Michelle Buteau's profile summary
| Full name | Michelle Buteau |
| Date of birth | July 24, 1977 |
| Age | 47 years old as of February 2025 |
| Place of birth | Hamilton Township, New Jersey, United States |
| Current residence | New York, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Mixed Haitian, Jamaican, Lebanese, and French |
| Religion | Christian (Catholic) |
| Height | 5 feet 7 inches (1.7 m/170 cm) |
| Marital status | Married |
| Husband | Dutch photographer Gijs van der Most (2010 to date) |
| Children | Twins Hazel and Otis |
| Education | Florida International University (Television Production) |
| Profession | Comedian, actress, writer, producer, television host |
| Years active | Early 2000s to date |
| Net worth | Approx. $5 million |
| Website | michellebuteau |
| Social media | InstagramX (Twitter) |
Twins Otis and Hazel van der Most
Michelle Buteau’s family felt complete when she welcomed her son Otis and daughter Hazel on January 22, 2019, via surrogacy. She announced the twins’ arrival on Instagram while holding them.
And just like that...we went from a family of two to four - 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 rainbows at the end of the storm. Whatever you want in your life, I wish that for you.
Otis and Hazel appeared with their mum on the December 2020 cover of Parents magazine. The comedian shared in her May 2024 interview with Romper that the twins have different personalities, describing them as ‘little adults.’
The twins started kindergarten in the fall of 2024. Buteau shared her daily routine with Vogue in January 2025, revealing that she wakes up early to prepare their stuff for school. Her husband takes them, and then she picks them up from school after work.
Source: Original
Michelle Buteau's fertility struggles
Buteau has always been open about her difficult journey to motherhood. When she was 36, she thought she was pregnant, but the tests came out negative. After visiting the doctor, she was diagnosed with Prolactinoma, a condition caused by high levels of prolactin and known to cause infertility.
Michelle turned to holistic medicine for around a year, but it did not work. Her endocrinologist suggested that she try talking to an infertility specialist about in vitro fertilization.
The New York-based standup comedian underwent several rounds of IVF. After suffering four miscarriages, Michelle said in her September 2019 Glamour essay that she decided to give up.
I was done. I was exhausted. I didn’t recognize my body. I had cut people out of my life who already had kids. My husband and I started looking to sell our house and get a smaller place upstate so we could afford a surrogate.
At the time, surrogacy was not legal in New York, so Buteau travelled to Pennsylvania. She finally found a surrogate while filming the 2019 Ali Wong romantic comedy, 'Always Be My Maybe,' in Vancouver. New York legalized gestational surrogacy in February 2021.
Source: UGC
How Michelle Buteau balances work and motherhood
Michelle has been busy working as a female comedian, actress, and TV host since welcoming the twins. She is not bothered by the tight schedules and shared in her May 2024 interview with 21Ninety that she is privileged to be a tired mom.
The comedian admits that motherhood has changed her. She told BET in May 2024 that she now relates to things differently.
It's that dynamic of your chosen family [while] in different places. So, being a mom helped me move through the world differently. Now I can see people's inner child.
Source: Getty Images
Who is Michelle Buteau's husband?
Buteau’s husband is Gijs van der Most. The couple tied the knot in July 2010 in a traditional wedding ceremony. Gijs was born and raised in Amsterdam, Netherlands before he relocated to New York City, where the couple lives.
Michelle is happily married but shared in her January 2025 interview with Rachael Martin that tying the knot was the biggest risk she has ever taken because she could not see Gijs’ red flags.
Because what if there is a red flag later? You're waiting for the other shoe to drop when you're in a relationship. Sometimes I look at my husband and I can't believe we're still doing this. It's been 16 years.
Source: Getty Images
What does Michelle Buteau's husband do for a living?
Gijs van der Most is a professional photographer and businessman. He has worked with major publications like People, Esquire, Men’s Health, and Fast Company.
Michelle Buteau’s husband studied photographic design at the Utrecht School for Arts (HKU) in the Netherlands. He also has a furniture business called Van der Most Modern in New York City, which he co-owns with Michelle.
Source: Getty Images
Michelle Buteau’s kids, Otis and Hazel van der Most are undoubtedly her favourite people. Despite the challenges of balancing her career and motherhood, Michelle has said that she and her husband manage their different parenting styles to raise the twins together.
READ ALSO: Lauryn Hill's children: Everything to know about her 6 kids
Briefly.co.za published details about Lauryn Hill’s children. The legendary singer is a mother of six, including two daughters and four sons.
Lauryn Hill shares five children with Bob Marley’s son, Rohan Marley, but has not revealed the father of her sixth child. The Grammy-winning singer raised the kids in her hometown of South Orange in New Jersey.
Source: Briefly News
