Heidi Klum’s Romantic History: From Her First Marriage & Split With Seal, To Her Happy Ending With Tom Kaulitz
Heidi Klum leads such an exciting life and over the course of her incredible career, she's been linked to some high-profile men. Check out the timeline of Heidi Klum's romances!
As soon as she skyrocketed to fame, the world fell head over heels in love with Heidi Klum! Throughout her career, the 47-year-old German-American model has conquered the hearts of so many fans with her sweet personality and stunning good looks. As such, it’s no wonder that under the scrutiny of fame, Heidi’s had a number high-profile relationships.
Since she was in her mid-20s, Heidi’s love life has been put front and center. Of course, there have been a number of ups and downs throughout her romances, but we’re breaking down the timeline of Heidi’s romantic history to offer as much context as possible! Take a look below at all of the loves from Heidi Klum’s life!
Ric Pipino
Heidi Klum, wearing lace hipsters and fur top, arrives with her husband Ric Pipino for the MTV Europe Music Awards ceremony in Frankfurt on August 11, 2001 [AP].Heidi’s first big romance came in the mid-90s. The then-twenty something became engaged and in 1997 married stylist Ric Pipino! As Heidi’s star in the entertainment and modeling industry rose, she became more open when it came to showing off her love life. She and Ric attended the MTV Europe Music Awards in Frankfurt in August 2001, pictured above. Unfortunately, their marriage was not meant to last, and the couple divorced in 2002 after five years of marriage. Heidi was roughly 29 at the time.
Flavio Briatore
Heidi Klum and Italian formula one manager Flavio Briatore, pose at Bellevue Castle in Berlin, October 21, 2003 [AP].Roughly one year after her split from Ric, Heidi began dating Italian formula one manager Flavio Briatore. The couple went public with their relationship in March 2003, and by December of that year, Heidi announced that she was pregnant. But while Heidi was expecting her first child, she and Flavio went their separate ways. Subsequently, Heidi’s next love would become the adoptive father of her daughter, Helene ‘Leni’ Boshoven Samuel, with Flavio.
Seal
Heidi Klum and Seal at the 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on September 16, 2007 [AP].Heidi’s most well-known relationship came when she started dating singer Seal in 2004. The singer, born Henry Olusegun Adeola Samuel, popped the question to Heidi in December 2004. The couple married less than a year later on May 10, 2005 on the beach in Mexico. Together, Heidi and Seal welcomed three children into their lives — Henry Günther Ademola Dashtu Samuel, 15, Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel, 13, and Lou Sulola Samuel, 10.
In December 2009, Seal showed Heidi just how committed he was to her by officially adopting her daughter, Leni. The now-16-year-old’s last name was officially changed to Samuel, and Heidi regarded Seal as Leni’s father. Throughout their marriage, Heidi and Seal would reaffirm their love for one another by renewing their vows and showing the world their united front. Sadly, though, this love story did not have a happy ending.
In January 2012, the couple announced that they had separated. Heidi filed for divorce in April of 2012 and two years later, in October 2014, their divorce was finalized. Although the former couple initially agreed to the terms and conditions of their custody agreement, recent developments showed that there was a hitch in their co-parenting plan. When Heidi wanted to take the children with her to Germany to film the next season of Germany’s Next Top Model amid the coronavirus pandemic, Seal initially pushed back on the idea. However, the two finally came to an agreement, and soon, Heidi will be in her home country with her four kiddos.
Martin Kirsten
Heidi Klum walks around NYC under Martin Kirsten’s arm on Feb. 1, 2015 [SplashNews].Immediately following her split from Seal, Heidi took up a relationship with her bodyguard, Martin Kirsten. The couple weren’t exactly known for their red carpet appearances. At the time, Heidi was still navigating her divorce and custody battle over her four children. She and Martin kept a relatively low-profile, and were mostly spotted by photographers going on walks and getting some fresh air, like in the photo above.
Vito Schnabel
Heidi Klum and boyfriend Vito Schnabel attend the Vanity Fair Fair Oscar Party at the Wallis Annenberg Center on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016, in Beverly Hills [AP].Following her divorce and split from Martin, Heidi began dating Vito Schnabel in 2014. The two made quite a few public appearances during their three-year romance, which last from 2014-2017. Vito, who owns his own art gallery, always seemed so smitten and happy with Heidi whenever they were together, much like in the photo above of the former couple at the Vanity Fair Oscar party in February 2016 — around the time they would have celebrated their two-year anniversary. But after roughly three years, the couple called it quits.
Tom Kaulitz
Heidi Klum and Tom Kaulitz attend the 2019 American Music Awards, AMAs, at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles on November 25, 2019 [AP].Heidi’s most recent romance has definitely given the model and America’s Got Talent judge a whole new lease on life! In May 2018, Heidi went public with her romance with Tokio Hotel guitarist Tom Kaulitz. Although there was plenty of speculation that the two were a hot new item in March of that year, the couple didn’t confirm their romance until May, sharing a slew of Instagram photos and appearing on the red carpet together at the Cannes Film Festival.
After less than one year of dating, Heidi accepted Tom’s proposal in December 2018, sharing a sweet photo on Instagram with the caption, “I said yes,” in all capital letters. The two were married in a romantic, family-oriented ceremony in February 2019, with a celebration in August 2019. They’ve been flaunting their love ever since!
