Heidi Klum had been married twice before meeting her husband Tom Kaulitz – and as the saying goes, the third time’s the charm.
The 52-year-old opened up about her relationship in a new interview with People. Heidi shared that she had no intention of tying the knot once more and almost didn't go out the evening she met her husband.
"I really wanted to stay home," she recalled. "But then I gave myself a little kick in the butt."
The German supermodel's attendance at a friend's party turned into "the sliding door moment" of her life. Heidi was first married to celebrity hairstylist Ric Pipino in 1997, followed by a seven-year marriage to British singer Seal. However, her relationship with Tom offered her a "clean slate".
Heidi confessed that it was challenging not to carry emotional baggage from her past relationships into her new one – until Tom firmly drew the line. "At first I wanted to [project] what I had learned from different men I had been with… like 'Ooh, this reminds me of something that happened, is that a flag?'"' she admitted.
Tom gave his partner an ultimatum early on in their relationship that allowed their romance to blossom freely. Heidi recalled her husband having said: "Don't do this to me, because I'm not this person, I'm not that person. Scratch everything. I have to have a fair chance."
Keeping their romance alive
It seems Tom is his wife's biggest supporter when it comes to her modeling projects. "He loves sitting there, and I go into the changing room and I come out with a different outfit on," shared Heidi.
"'He loves me in a miniskirt. He loves me in pumps. He just loves when I get all dolled up."
However, Heidi went on to note that marriage hasn't changed her bold personality. "This is pretty much what you get. I'm pretty loud and you know I'm there. What keeps the relationship fresh?" she said.
She credited "stolen weekends," "handwritten notes," and carving out time for each other with keeping their spark alive – plus, she teased, "a few things I can’t share."
The couple, who tied the knot back in 2019, have a 17-year age difference that has frequently been met with public scrutiny. "When our door closes at home, I don't really care so much what happens around us," Heidi added.
"'I've learned things from my husband that I didn't know I was capable of doing."