Heidi Klum talks judgment over 17-year age gap with husband Tom Kaulitz... and giving each other matching tattoos

Daily Mail​

3 days ago

Heidi Klum wasn't planning to meet the love of her life the night she met Tom Kaulitz.
In fact, she almost didn't go out.
'I really wanted to stay home,' the supermodel, 52, recalled in a new interview with People. 'But then I gave myself a little kick in the butt.'
That spontaneous decision to attend a friend's party turned into what Klum now calls 'the sliding door moment' of her life.
Seven years later, the supermodel and the Tokio Hotel guitarist, who got engaged in December 2018 and married just two months later, are still going strong.
Kaulitz, 35, offered Klum, a mother of four, a 'clean slate' after two previous marriages — first to celebrity hairstylist Ric Pipino in 1997 and then to British singer-songwriter Seal, with whom she was married for seven years.
But with new love came old habits.
'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.
Ultimately, it was Kaulitz who challenged her to let go of her baggage.
The Project Runway revealed, early in their relationship, Kaulitz 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.'
Doing this allowed their love to blossom as evidenced by their loved-up red carpet appearances and PDA-filled social media posts.
The couple also enjoy a number of shared activities, including shopping for lingerie.
'He loves sitting there, and I go into the changing room and I come out with a different outfit on,' Klum shares. 'He loves me in a miniskirt. He loves me in pumps. He just loves when I get all dolled up.'
The two even got matching name tattoos, though Klum jokes: 'His looks much better — so I'm the better tattoo artist.'
Despite enjoying life as a wife, Klum says marriage hasn't changed her.
'This is pretty much what you get. I'm pretty loud and you know I'm there.' What keeps the relationship fresh?' she noted.
She went on to credit 'stolen weekends,' 'handwritten notes,' and making time for each other for keeping them acting like newlyweds — plus 'a few things she can't share.'
Although their 17-year age gap still draws attention, Klum insists she doesn't entertain the criticism.
'When our door closes at home, I don't really care so much what happens around us,' she says. 'I've learned things from my husband that I didn't know I was capable of doing,' she added.
At 52, Heidi Klum continues to own her space by maintaining an unapologetically sexy and confident presence both online and offline.
'I've been photographing nude or in lingerie since 1992, way before Instagram,' she says. 'So for me, it's nothing new. For the past 15 years, other people are now doing what I've been doing for 30 years. Instead of being in my little bottoms in a magazine, I'm on Instagram. It's the same thing.'
And she has no plans to tone things down.
'For me to be older, it doesn't matter. I don't have this age-shaming or body-shaming thing. I feel like everyone should do what they want to do. I like to run around sexy — even now at 52.'
That's been especially evident this summer, as Klum has been island-hopping in bikinis alongside Kaulitz.
She's also vocal about challenging outdated ideas about aging.
'The biggest misconception [about] being in your 50s is that you are off the shelf. You're not off the shelf,' she said. 'We are very much on that shelf for everyone to see. Don't hide in your 50s. Beauty is ever-changing, and I'm here for the change. If it's always the same, life is boring.'
Having risen to fame in the 1990s, when heroin chic was popular, Klum appreciates the evolving standards of today.
'Now it's okay to be older — but it didn't use to be like that,' she said. 'I feel like we're more welcoming of wrinkles and rolls on our body. Being accepted at every age is amazing. That we've changed and come all that way.'
Still, she embraces modern cosmetic options, too.
'I'm all for Botox,' she declared, noting she's intrigued by celebrities opening up about their procedures. 'Whoever wants to talk about [plastic surgery] and wants to share, give me all the numbers.'
Looking ahead, Klum welcomes the journey of aging — gray hair, laugh lines, and all.
'Don't we all want to get old? I know we always say that, but it's the truth. I'm already looking at 60 and 70, hopefully 80 and 90. And if we're still kicking it then, let's celebrate,' she concluded.