Heidi Klum opened up about co-parenting with her ex-husband, Seal, during a Q&A on Instagram. The supermodel took to her Instagram Stories on January 2 to answer a question about her daughter Lou's whereabouts.
"Where is Lou when you are traveling (vacation/work)?" asked a social media user. Heidi simply replied: "Dad."
Following Lou's birth in October 2009, the "Kiss from a Rose" hitmaker issued a heartfelt statement: "It's difficult to imagine loving another child as much as you love your existing children. Anyone who has a family will tell you this. Where will one find that extra love? If you love your existing children with all of your heart, how then can one possibly find more heart with which to love another?"
He added: "On Friday, Oct. 9, 2009, at 7:46 p.m., the answer to this question came in the form of our fourth child and second daughter. Lou Sulola Samuel was born, and from the moment she looked into both of our eyes, it was endless love at first sight."
As her older sister Leni and brother Henry make waves in the modelLing industry, all eyes are now on the 16-year-old and the promising career path she's poised to follow. In addition to Lou, the America's Got Talent judge is also a mom to daughter Leni Klum, who she welcomed with Flavio Briatore but who her ex-husband Seal adopted, as well as Henry and Johan, 18, whom she shares with the singer.
Back in June 2024, Heidi responded to an Instagram comment that asked whether Lou wants to become a model. The mother-of-four posted a video that was taken from the back and depicted her strutting down a corridor with Lou. Over the video, Heidi answered the question, as she penned: "She is only 14." However, Heidi has previously revealed her youngest daughter is also passionate about dance and may deviate from her siblings' career paths.
Last year, speaking with People at the Super Bowl, Lou's dad Seal gushed over how "amazing" it is to have grown up kids. "You end up with these great friends now that you can have, you know, real conversations with," he noted. "And you get to learn from your mistakes as a parent, the ones that you've made and you get to realize that all that they really care about is not the mistakes you made, but did you always try?"
"Did you always try your best as a parent?" he further reflected, adding: "As they get older you see that they understand that because they become adults themselves and they realize how difficult it is to be a parent. In fact, it's the hardest job in the world because it's the one job where you can't make mistakes, but the reality is you do make mistakes," though he noted: "They don't really care so much about those. They care about if you tried, if you tried your best as a parent."
"Luckily my — I can't call them kids — the sons and daughters that I raised, they're seeing that I tried my best," he lastly shared, maintaining: "I wasn't always perfect but I tried my best."
Heidi is now married to German guitarist Tom Kaulitz but continues to amicably co-parent with Seal. Family mediator and parenting specialist, Paige Harley, spoke to us about the emotional landscape of blended families, such as Heidi's. "In my experience, blended families function best when step-parents focus on building connection rather than stepping into an authority role right away or at all," she said. "Kids really don’t need a second 'parent', what they respond to most is a calm, steady adult who helps them feel safe. When there’s tension between homes, that neutral presence can make a huge difference."
Paige also spoke to us about the role of a step-parent, an important role Tom has taken on. "One of the biggest challenges of step-parenting is understanding what your role is – and isn't. You are not a replacement for the child’s parent, you are an additional, supportive adult who can provide guidance, stability, and care when needed. Your role will develop at the child’s pace, not yours, and respecting existing parental bonds is crucial for building trust," she explained.