London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 24, 2025

Heidi Klum’s Daughter Leni Is the Mirror Image of Her Mom

Heidi Klum’s Daughter Leni Is the Mirror Image of Her Mom

It’s a first-for the January issue of Vogue Germany, photographer Chris Colls not only shot supermodel Heidi Klum, but also her eldest daughter, Leni Klum. Their joint cover marks Leni’s official entry into the modeling world as well as into public life.

The privacy of her family is important to Heidi. Paparazzi photos of Leni or her siblings Johan, Henry and Lou were always pixelated for their protection. But now, at 16, Leni has her mother’s blessing for her debut. “Sixteen is a good age,” says Heidi. “If you are allowed to drive a car, you can also have an official Instagram account and show your face. And to be allowed to start with a Vogue cover is an insane privilege.”

As a result, she will join the ranks of other top models whose children are conquering the catwalk, including Cindy Crawford and Kaia Gerber, Vanessa Paradis and Lily-Rose Depp, Jerry Hall and Georgia May Jagger, and Kate Moss and Lila Grace Moss.

During the photoshoot and interview with Vogue contributor Esma Annemon Dil in Los Angeles and the subsequent video shoot in Berlin, we got to know the energetic Klum duo even better. Here, we outline our 11 biggest takeaways from meeting one of the most exciting new models of 2021.

1. Leni thinks Heidi is “uncool”


When asked by her mother if she thinks she’s cool or not, Leni says no. “Sometimes the way that you act is very cringey. Like, some dances you do.” But she adds, “You’re cool when you’re confident, which is a lot of the time. And fun. But some of your dances are very uncool.”

2. Leni always wanted to be a model


“It was only a matter of time before I would try to become a model myself. The first offer came when I was only 12 or 13, from a brand I liked to wear: Brandy Melville. At that time I begged my mother, but no chance. Now I understand that it would have been too early.”

3. Leni can match Heidi’s energy


“That’s what’s great about being a model. With most other jobs, I would have to suppress my crazy nature to make a ‘professional’ impression. As a model, I can let everything out and just be who I am. The job is the perfect outlet for all the energy I carry inside me.”

4. Leni had a part in Tokio Hotel guitarist Tom Kaulitz’s proposal to Heidi


“He asked all of us children for permission. We brought them breakfast in bed at Christmas, he took the ring, and then we all got really nervous when Mama hesitated for a moment.” (Heidi says she did this to make it more exciting.)

    

5. Leni has a friendship tattoo to match her stepfather…


…and his brother Bill Kaulitz, Tokio Hotel’s lead singer. It’s three little dots on the inside of their fingers.

6. She also wanted to have a matching tattoo with her boyfriend—in her mouth


However, Heidi refused to allow that.

7. Leni knows her current classmates only via Zoom


“I changed schools during lockdown. That was planned beforehand and then it fell on this stupid date. That means I only know my new school friends through Zoom.”

8. Her style is minimalist


In her interview with Vogue Germany, Leni reveals that she wears “streetwear [above all else]. Dickies, Wrangler or no-brand basics”. Her closet is pretty empty and only has a few T-shirts, trousers and jackets, as she often has clear outs and either gives pieces to her sister or sells them on Depop. The only thing she’s attached to are the field-hockey sweatpants she stole from her boyfriend. “My younger siblings love high fashion with logos — Supreme, Off-White, A Bathing Ape. I am less interested in those brands,” she says.

9. Leni is scared of spiders, bees and having blood taken


“Needles and shots,” she explains. Heidi, on the other hand, is scared of Leni’s driving and the idea that she will move out one day.

10. The Klums do not have secrets from each other


Asked if there was anything that Leni always wanted to ask Heidi, the answer was no. “I feel like we’re besties and I tell her everything.”

11. Her name is not what you think it is


Contrary to the internet’s shared opinion, Leni’s real name is not Helene Boshoven Samuel, but Leni Olumi Klum. Heidi has no idea where people got that information from.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
×