Not only is Heidi Klum an undisputed queen of style, but her four kids, Leni, Henry, Johan and Lou, are also following in her fashionable footsteps. The former Project Runway host has proven there’s nothing she wouldn’t do for her children, which includes keeping them away from the public eye and protecting their privacy.
“My oldest daughter, [Leni,] wants to post her face and I always say, ‘No, you’re not allowed to,'” she once told People about her social media rules. “Whenever she’s in it, it has to be from the back or [having her face concealed somehow].”
Heidi said her rules are a bit “different” when it comes to her and her husband, Tom Kaulitz. “I feel like we’re grown-ups — but I want to try and keep them children as long as possible,” the supermodel explained.
Helene “Leni” Boshoven Samuel
After her five-year marriage to stylist Ric Pipino ended in 2002, Heidi began a relationship with Flavio Briatore. Heidi and the Formula One team manager welcomed her eldest daughter, Leni, on May 4, 2004, but the former couple actually split soon after she became pregnant.
At the time she gave birth to Leni, Heidi was dating Seal. Though Flavio has been absent from Leni’s life, according to reports, Seal helped raise her like one of his own and she was even adopted by the singer in December 2009. In December 2018, Leni had a brief reunion with her biological dad in Italy.
As the eldest daughter of one of Hollywood’s hottest supermodels, it’s no surprise Leni is following in her mom’s footsteps.
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Leni made her modeling debut alongside her mama on the cover of Vogue Germany’s January/February 2021 issue. Heidi marveled over the accomplishment on Instagram, writing, “I’m so proud of you. And not because you chose this path. I know that no matter which way you go, it will be your own.”
Not long after, Leni made achieved yet another milestone when she opened Berlin Fashion Week in late January 2021. The gorgeous young lady modeled high-end designers like Kaviar Gauche, Michael Sontag, Lala Berlin and Esther Perbrandt. Leni’s modeling career has blossomed since then, starring in several beauty campaigns, walking designer runways and landing more magazine covers.
During an August 2022 appearance on Today, Heidi revealed that her eldest daughter moved to NYC to attend college at “the school she always wanted to go to.”
“I started in New York, so she knows New York inside and out because we shot Project Runway there for so many years,” Heidi told Entertainment Tonight that month.
Henry Günther Ademola Dashtu Samuel
Henry, born on September 12, 2005, is the first child shared between Heidi and Seal.
While Heidi and the “Kiss From a Rose” crooner renewed their vows every year on their anniversary, it wasn’t happily ever after for them. The two announced they were separating in January 2012. Heidi filed for divorce from Seal three months later, in April 2012, also filing paperwork so she could have her last name reverted back from Samuel to Klum. Their divorce was finalized in October 2014.
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As her eldest son, Heidi is so proud to watch Henry grow up. Even though she doesn’t share photos with him or her other children often, she will speak about her kiddos every now and then. In December 2020, she opened up about how they’ve been coping with being homeschooled amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s very hard for them,” Heidi told People, noting it’s been especially difficult since they are living in Germany while she films Germany’s Next Top Model. “It’s definitely hard for them because they are doing school in a different time zone,” she explained.
“They do it here late at night, until like 11:00 p.m. at night because they actually are doing school on L.A. time still with their class,” Heidi continued. “So kudos to my kids for not slacking and doing it all. They’re real troopers.”
It sounds like Henry is a smart guy!
Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel
Heidi and Seal welcomed their second child together, Johan, on November 22, 2006.
The Emmy-nominated host has been quite vocal about just how much she loves her two sons. “My boys are very sexy,” Heidi told People in 2017. “They’re very young and I probably shouldn’t say that, that they’re sexy.”
The TV personality said Henry looks like his “very hot and very handsome” father Seal — down to a gap in their teeth. As for Johan, Heidi thinks he, in her opinion, looks like a “European soccer player” thanks to him having “gorgeous mixed skin,” “beautiful big lips” and “wild and big” hair.
That’s one doting mom!
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Lou Sulola Samuel
The last of Heidi and Seal’s kids, Lou was born on October 9, 2009.
After splitting with the British heartthrob, Heidi dated her bodyguard, Martin Kirsten, from 2012 to 2014. She then dated art curator Vito Schnabel from 2014 to 2017. In May 2018, Heidi made her relationship with Tokio Hotel guitarist Tom official and in February 2019 they got married.
Like her other kids, Lou has made some rare appearances on her mom’s social media. Over the summer, Heidi revealed she and Lou started painting together to keep themselves busy amid coronavirus lockdown.
In June 2024, Heidi shared a rare photo with all four of her children on Instagram after celebrating her 51st birthday.
