Heidi Klum reveals the ‘sliding door moment’ of her life

Heidi Klum knows that one small moment can change everything.

The 52-year-old model reflected on the unexpected start to her relationship with her now-husband, Tom Kaulitz, during an interview published Monday with People, leading up to her highly anticipated return to host Project Runway. She said that while she met Kaulitz at a party seven years ago, she nearly skipped that event.

“I really wanted to stay home,” she explained. “But then I gave myself a little kick in the butt.”

She realized her decision to go to the party was “the sliding door moment” in her life; a phrase referring to how a minor choice can drastically affect life’s trajectory.

Klum and Kaulitz got engaged in 2018 and married two months later. While they don’t share any children together, Klum and her ex-husband Seal have three kids: Henry, 19, Johan, 18, and Lou, 15. Klum and her ex, Flavio Briatore, also had a daughter, Leni, 21, whom Seal legally adopted.

The model also told People that the beginning of her relationship with Kaulitz represented a “clean slate” for her.

“[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 said. “But Tom 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.”

She acknowledged how sparks have continued to fly between her and her husband, revealing one of their favorite activities to do together: Shop for lingerie.

During those outings, Kaulitz sits outside while his wife is in the changing room. She then steps out and shows off her different outfits to him.

“He loves me in a miniskirt. He loves me in pumps. He just loves when I get all dolled up,” she said, noting that there’s no jealousy between them. She also credited “stolen weekends” together and “handwritten notes” as the keys to her and Kaulitz’s relationship.

However, she acknowledged that being married hasn’t changed the person she is. “This is pretty much what you get. I’m pretty loud and you know I’m there.”

Klum also addressed the ongoing online chatter about her marriage: She’s 17 years older than her husband. However, she chooses not to engage with critics who make any comments about that age gap.

“When our door closes at home, I don’t really care so much what happens around us,” she explained. “I’ve learned things from my husband that I didn’t know I was capable of doing.”

She shared similar sentiments during a 2023 Instagram Live session, when one person asked her how she felt about being older than her spouse.

“I honestly only feel that way when people point it out to me,” the former America’s Got Talent host replied.