Patchwork family
Leni Klum and the story behind her adoption by Seal
Close bond: Leni Klum and Seal at a Netflix film premiere last week
© Picture Alliance / Picture Alliance
Leni Klum and her adoptive father Seal recently surprised the public with a joint appearance. There was still a conflict between them last year – now that seems to have been resolved. Your unusual father-daughter story and what makes it so special.
Singer Seal and his adopted daughter Leni Klum surprised the public with a joint appearance on the red carpet last week. The young model accompanied her father to a film premiere in Los Angeles and posed with him for photos. It was a rare moment, and the two share an extraordinary father-daughter story.
Because when Seal and Leni Klum’s mother Heidi officially became a couple in 2004, the German model had just been divorced from star hairdresser Ric Pipino and came from a short liaison with Formula 1 manager Flavio Briatore. What is special: Seal met Heidi Klum when she was already pregnant with Leni. Briatore is the birth father of the 17-year-old, but that never played a role for Seal.
When he first saw Klum with a baby bump, the matter was clear to him. “At that moment I fell in love with both Heidi and the baby. Until then, the child wasn’t a reality, but seeing Heidi like that put everything into perspective,” Seal once described in an interview. It wasn’t a big step for him, he just hoped that he would be worthy of it all. And he said that there was no way he came to Heidi’s rescue. Rather, everything was fate.
Seal and Heidi Klum share custody of Leni and the siblings
“When I told my stepmother that I had met Heidi, she said it was strange because she was about to propose that I adopt a child. It was all obviously so predetermined,” said Seal. And so Leni grew up with Seal as a father, he was also there when she was born. However, she has only irregular contact with her biological father, Flavio Briatore. In 2018, Heidi Klum posted a rare selfie of herself, Briatore and Leni – everyone speaks of a relaxed relationship.
One year after Leni’s birth, Seal and Heidi Klum married, and in 2009 – four years later – Seal officially adopted Leni. Seal and Heidi Klum have three other children in addition to Leni. After the divorce in 2014, the ex-couple shared custody – not an easy task. Seal spoke openly about the fact that he and Heidi are not a team when it comes to parenting.
Last week’s appearance is also special because the father and daughter have apparently overcome a recent conflict. Last year Seal tried to prevent Heidi Klum and the children from moving to Europe for a few months to shoot for “Germany’s Next Top Model”. Seal was afraid she would never see the children again. Leni Klum submitted a statement to the court at the time.
It is difficult for her because she loves both parents, she said in it, but she has to present her point of view. As the eldest, she speaks for her siblings and herself. “My mom has to film in Germany for a few months and we want to go with them, but my dad won’t allow it,” she stabbed her father in the back at the time. Ultimately, an agreement was reached: the children were allowed to travel with them, but should return to the USA immediately in the event of an impending border closure due to the corona pandemic.
Your words did not harm the close father-daughter relationship, as the photos from the red carpet show.
Sources: “Daily Mail”, “People”, RTL