Heidi Klum Biography

NAME: Heidi Klum

OCCUPATION: Actress, Model, Reality Television Star, Television Producer

BIRTH DATE: June 01, 1973 (Age: 38)

PLACE OF BIRTH: Westphalia, Germany

ZODIAC SIGN: Gemini

Synopsis

Heidi Klum, born in 1973 in Germany, is a supermodel, actress, businesswoman, and television producer. She produces and hosts the award-winning reality television show Project Runway and has graced the cover of Sports Illustrated. She is married to singer Seal. She also has her own line of jewelry, has designed shoes for Birkenstock, and clothing for the brand Jordache.

Personal Life

Shortly after the launch of Project Runway, Klum's life took another interesting turn. Her boyfriend Seal proposed to her on top of a glacier in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. They married the following May and welcomed son Henry Gunther Ademola Dashtu Samuel on September 12. Klum stunned many by returning to modeling in less than two months after her son's arrival, looking fabulous as part of the nationally televised Victoria's Secret fashion show. She and Seal expanded their family with one more son, Johan, on November 26, 2006.

Modeling Success

Model, actress, television host, designer, businessperson. Born on June 1, 1973, in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany. Known for years as a leading model, Heidi Klum has become a popular television host and a successful businessperson. She started her modeling career at the age of 18 after winning a contest in her native Germany. Before this win, Klum had planned on becoming a designer.

After later moving to New York, Klum eventually landed work with the lingerie company Victoria's Secret, which helped raise her profile in the modeling world. Around this time, she married famous hairstylist Ric Pipino. (Their union ended in divorce in 2002.) Soon she appeared on the cover of the 1998 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, an honor coveted by many models. While her hourglass shape was not a fit for the runways, Klum became a fashion favorite, appearing in such magazines as Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, and Harper's Bazaar.

Always kissable klum

Presently signed with Elite Model Management, Heidi continues to model and pursue an acting career, which has blossomed in 2001. She made a cameo appearance in Sex and the City, sharing the runway with Sarah Jessica Parker. She also had a relatively large role in the 2001 comedy, Blow Dry (which she has a lot of experience with, thanks to her family, career and husband).

Known for her down-to-earth personality and her sense of humor (she even yodeled when she first appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman), Heidi married celebrity hairstylist Ric Pipino in 1997. The couple announced their separation in November 2002.

Heidi Klum has been a regular model for Victoria's Secret since 1997 and for Sports Illustrated since 1998 and an official Victoria's Secret Angel since 1999. She has appeared in a number of movies and television shows, and in 2004, she began hosting her own show, Project Runway. Heidi is the epitome of what it means to be a supermodel; that's probably why she has become one of the most recognizable and highest-paid models in the world.

Swimsuit Pinnacle

Klum snags the coveted cover spot on Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue, becoming the first German to do so. The voluptuous, 5' 9 1/2" Klum is known for her killer body, but tells PEOPLE, "My smile is my favorite thing."

New Steady Plus Baby

With Klum's due date just a few months away, she splits from Briatore and is soon linked with British singer Seal. On May 4, she gives birth to 7-lb. 4-oz. daughter Leni in New York. A champagne toast with her parents and Seal – by now a frequent companion – marks the occasion. Of Seal, a Klum pal tells PEOPLE, "He was an amazing confidant for her during this period and supported her 100 percent."