Heidi Klum is speaking candidly about the bias she encountered in the fashion industry while expecting her children. The 52-year-old supermodel, who is a mother of four, shares daughter Leni, 21, with Flavio Briatore, and sons Henry, 20, Johan, 19, and daughter Lou, 16, with her former husband Seal.
In a recent feature for Paper alongside her daughter Leni and son Henry, Klum reflected on a painful professional experience. She recalled that during one of her pregnancies, a client chose to stop working with her, believing motherhood had changed her image.
“I was seen as sexy before I had children,” she explained. “Then suddenly, once I was pregnant, I was viewed only as a mom — as if that meant I couldn’t be considered attractive anymore.” She said it felt as though an essential part of her identity had been taken away.
Klum also revisited her years hosting Project Runway from 2004 to 2017, noting how rare it was at the time to see visibly pregnant women on television. She was expecting each of her children while working on the show and described how difficult it was to find stylish maternity clothing suitable for a fashion-focused program.
That struggle ultimately inspired her to launch her own maternity line. “I wasn’t going to hide at home,” she said. “I was on stage, on TV, on a fashion show — I needed clothes that reflected that.”
Leni, who has followed her mother into modeling, said the industry has become more inclusive over time, with broader standards and opportunities than in her mother’s early career.
Klum, now married to Tom Kaulitz after her 2005–2014 marriage to Seal, has also influenced her son Henry’s modeling ambitions. In an interview with Elle Germany, Henry shared that his mother encouraged him to stand tall — both physically and mentally — emphasizing posture and self-confidence.
For Klum, maintaining a positive outlook has always been key. While she admits to moments of self-doubt, she says she’s learned how to return to a place of strength and optimism.
