Full Breakdown
Neil Patrick Harris’s 2006 Coming-Out Decision Amid Blogger Targeting and Perez Hilton’s Later Apology
8/14/2026, 4:01:30 AM
Core Event: Harris Chooses to Publicly Acknowledge His Sexuality
In August 2026, actor Neil Patrick Harris reflected on the pressure that led him to issue a public coming-out statement to *People* magazine in November 2006. At the time, Harris and his partner David Burtka were already married in private, and the *How I Met Your Mother* cast knew they were a couple. Harris said a rumor that his publicist described him as “not of that persuasion” prompted him to “get ahead of the story” rather than wait for invasive speculation.
Background & Context: Early-2000s Gossip Blog Culture
The early 2000s saw the rise of celebrity gossip blogs that ran “guess who’s gay” features. Harris described this environment as a “salacious… comment” that made him fear becoming “the next target.” One such blog, run by Perez Hilton, launched campaigns to out closeted actors, including Harris.
Timeline
- 2005-2006 – Harris dates David Burtka; the *HIMYM* cast is aware of their relationship.
- November 2006 – Harris issues his official coming-out statement to *People*.
- July 14 2026 – Perez Hilton records an interview with Sean Hannity in which he walks back earlier comments about Harris and other celebrities.
- August 12 2026 – Harris discusses his 2006 decision on the “Great Company with Jamie Laing” podcast.
- August 4 2026 – Perez Hilton is hospitalized after a self-harm livestream on TikTok; his family reports he is in “serious but stable” condition.
Official Statements & Responses
- Harris added that the reaction to his announcement was “indifference, at best.”
- Perez Hilton (2026 interviews) – In the July 14 interview, Hilton said, “I realized what I was doing was wrong,” calling his past actions a “witch hunt.” He noted he reached out to Harris, Britney Spears, and Khloé Kardashian to apologize, and that Harris was “very, very gracious” when Hilton asked to contribute a passage to his memoir.
Verbatim Quotes
- “That was at a time when there were bloggers on the internet that you would go to to, like, read the salacious, you know, ‘try to guess who this actor is that’s gay and in the closet’ kind of comment. And so there was a fear that I would be, like, the next target on that,” — Neil Patrick Harris
- “Someone asked a publicist about my sexuality, and the publicist said I was 'not of that persuasion,'” — Neil Patrick Harris
- “I realized what I was doing was wrong,” — Perez Hilton
- “So I wrote a little something in there, and he was very, very gracious,” — Perez Hilton
Why It Matters
Harris’s decision shows how early internet gossip culture could pressure public figures into controlling their own narratives. The episode also highlights a shift: bloggers like Hilton, once praised for “bringing about change,” are now acknowledging the personal harm their tactics caused. Hilton’s hospitalization and remorse have sparked conversations about the mental-health impact of online harassment for both targets and perpetrators.
What’s Next
- Perez Hilton’s recovery status will be updated as his family releases further medical information.
- Harris’s memoir, which includes Hilton’s contribution, is slated for publication later in 2026.
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*All statements and dates are drawn from the cited source material.*
