Heidi Klum has spent more than three decades turning one lucky break into a global career on runways, on television and, every October, on the Halloween carpet. The German-born supermodel, producer and TV host returned to “Project Runway” in 2025 and marked the 25th edition of her famous Halloween party in 2026 as a giant severed hand. Here is how she got there.
| Name | Heidi Klum |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | June 1, 1973 |
| Age | 53 (in 2026) |
| Birthplace | Bergisch Gladbach, West Germany |
| Occupation | Model, TV host, producer, entrepreneur |
| Citizenship | German and American (since 2008) |
| Known for | Victoria’s Secret, Project Runway, Germany’s Next Topmodel, America’s Got Talent |
| Spouse | Tom Kaulitz (married 2019) |
| Children | Four |
Early Life
Heidi Klum was born on June 1, 1973, in Bergisch Gladbach, a town near Cologne in what was then West Germany. Her mother, Erna, worked as a hairdresser, and her father, Günther, was an executive at a cosmetics company.
That changed in 1992. Klum entered “Model 92,” a nationwide contest that drew around 25,000 entrants. On April 29, 1992, she was announced as the winner. The prize was a modeling contract with Metropolitan Models in New York, guaranteed at a minimum of $300,000 over three years. It was the start of a move across the Atlantic that would define the rest of her life.
Looking back, the contest is a useful key to her whole career. Klum did not come up through couture houses or Paris runways. She came through a nationwide contest, and much of her later success would come from putting other hopefuls through competitions of her own, from “Project Runway” to “Germany’s Next Topmodel.”
Career
1992-2010: From contest winner to Victoria’s Secret Angel
Klum’s breakthrough in the United States came quickly. She landed the cover of the 1998 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, one of the most coveted spots in commercial modeling, and appeared again in the magazine’s 2002 edition.
Her longest partnership was with Victoria’s Secret. Klum became the brand’s first German Angel and stayed with the label for 13 years, until 2010. She hosted several of its televised fashion shows, including the 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 editions. During those years Forbes regularly placed her among the highest-paid models in the world; for 2008, the magazine estimated her earnings at about $16 million and ranked her first.
2004-2018: Project Runway and the jump to TV
Klum’s second act began in 2004, when she became host, judge and producer of “Project Runway,” a reality competition for fashion designers, alongside mentor Tim Gunn. The show turned her into a household name beyond fashion. It earned a Peabody Award in 2008, and in 2013 Klum and Gunn shared an Emmy. She left the series in 2018 after 16 seasons and was replaced by Karlie Kloss.
In 2006 she launched “Germany’s Next Topmodel” on German television. She has hosted and judged the show ever since, making it one of the longest-running parts of her career. The same year, she made a brief appearance in the original “The Devil Wears Prada.”
2013-2024: America’s Got Talent and Making the Cut
Klum joined the judging panel of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” in 2013. She stayed until 2018, returned in 2020 and remained through 2024, sharing the desk with stars such as Sofía Vergara. In February 2025, it was announced that she was leaving the show again.
After exiting “Project Runway,” Klum reunited with Tim Gunn for “Making the Cut” on Amazon Prime Video, which ran from 2020 to 2022. Away from the screen, she built a long list of licensing deals: clothing lines with Jordache, New Balance and Lidl, shoes with Birkenstock, jewelry with Mouawad, a lingerie line later produced with Bendon, and two fragrances.
2025: The return to Project Runway
In January 2025, Klum was announced as the returning host of “Project Runway” for its 21st season, which aired on Freeform from July to September 2025. Designer Christian Siriano joined her as mentor. Disney later confirmed she would host and executive produce Season 22 in 2026. In December 2025, she also co-hosted the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Kennedy Center in Washington.
What’s New in 2026
Twenty years after her cameo in the original film, Klum appeared in “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” released in 2026, with a short scene alongside Emily Blunt. She joked in interviews that she was glad “they didn’t cut me out,” adding: “I’m not an actress, but I got to dabble into so many different fun things.”
The biggest headlines, though, came on October 31, 2026. Klum’s Halloween party, which she first threw in 2000, reached its 25th edition at Cathédrale in Manhattan, according to press reports. After weeks of teasers promising something “very, very gory,” she arrived as a life-sized replica of her own left hand, cut off at the wrist, with her face peering out of the wound. She told the Associated Press it took five to six hours to get into the costume, built with prosthetics designer Mike Marino. Her husband, Tom Kaulitz, was on tour and missed the night, so she had his name tattooed on the giant hand’s ring finger. Read the full story in our report: Heidi Klum Becomes a Giant Severed Hand for Halloween.
The party itself has become a fixture of the New York social calendar, nicknamed “Heidi-ween.” According to press reports from the event, guests photographed in 2026 included Sofía Vergara, Taylor Momsen, Kyle MacLachlan and Olympic skiing champion Lindsey Vonn. Klum told reporters that 10 to 15 people helped her get ready on the day, while a larger team had spent months building and painting the costume, down to the veins. She said the idea first came to her a year earlier, before she had even worn her 2025 Medusa look.
The severed hand joins a long list of transformations: Betty Boop in 2002, the Hindu goddess Kali in 2008, an elderly version of herself in 2013, Jessica Rabbit in 2015, a peacock created with Cirque du Soleil in 2023, E.T. in 2024 and Medusa in 2025. Some of those looks doubled as personal statements: in 2006 she dressed as a giant apple, the “forbidden fruit,” which hid her pregnancy, and in 2009 she and Seal both came as crows. Over 25 years, the costumes have turned what began as a private party into an annual pop-culture event that fans and photographers wait for as eagerly as any red carpet.
Personal Life
Klum has been married three times. Her first husband was stylist Ric Pipino; they married in 1997 and divorced in 2002. She married the British singer Seal on May 10, 2005. The couple announced their separation in January 2012, and the divorce was finalized in October 2014.
In December 2018, Klum became engaged to Tom Kaulitz, guitarist of the German band Tokio Hotel. They married privately in February 2019 and held a wedding ceremony in August of that year.
Klum is the mother of four children. Her eldest daughter, Leni, born in 2004, has followed her into modeling and attended the 2026 Halloween party dressed as Miss Piggy. Seal legally adopted Leni in 2009. Klum, who became a U.S. citizen in 2008 while keeping her German nationality, has also been recognized for charity work, receiving the American Red Cross Crystal Cross Award in 2014.
Net Worth
Heidi Klum’s net worth is not publicly disclosed, and figures circulating online are unverified estimates. Her earnings, however, have been tracked for years. According to Forbes, she earned about $14 million in 2007, about $16 million in 2008 and around $20 million between 2010 and 2011, placing her among the highest-paid models in the world. Her income today combines TV hosting and producing, her long-running German show, and licensing deals, but no official totals have been published.
FAQ
How old is Heidi Klum?
Heidi Klum was born on June 1, 1973. She is 53 years old in 2026.
Where is Heidi Klum from?
She was born in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany, and has also held U.S. citizenship since 2008.
Who is Heidi Klum married to?
She has been married to Tom Kaulitz of Tokio Hotel since 2019. She was previously married to Ric Pipino and to Seal.
How many children does Heidi Klum have?
She has four children, including model Leni Klum.
What was Heidi Klum’s Halloween costume in 2026?
For the 25th edition of her party, she dressed as a giant, bloody severed hand, a replica of her own left hand.
Is Heidi Klum still on Project Runway?
Yes. She returned as host in 2025 for Season 21 and is hosting and executive producing Season 22 in 2026.
Sources
- Wikipedia – Heidi Klum
- blue News – Heidi Klum sets the tone once again on Project Runway
- Bustle – Heidi Klum’s 2026 Halloween costume interview
- ABC7 New York – Heidi Klum’s Halloween costumes over the years
- Landmark Cinemas – Heidi Klum on her Devil Wears Prada 2 role
- NBC Washington – Heidi Klum returning to Project Runway