Heidi Klum Opens Up About What Her Husband Told Her as Her Body Changed Over the Years

At 53, the model and television host has spent decades in an industry where bodies are measured, criticized, and expected to remain almost frozen in time. As hers naturally changed over the years, someone close to her noticed — but what he said was nothing like the advice she had grown accustomed to hearing.

Heidi Klum is still moving at full speed. Yet, in an interview with Us Weekly discussing her career, confidence, marriage, and Hollywood's obsession with weight loss, Klum revealed how her husband, Tom Kaulitz, changed her perspective on her changing figure.

Long before Heidi Klum became one of the world's most recognizable models, the fashion industry was not quite sure what to do with her. After winning a national modeling competition in Germany in 1992, she entered a business where her figure and even her cheerful personality were seen as obstacles.

"I didn't get a lot of jobs because I had a sporty body — big boobs, wider hips — and I smiled a lot," she recalled. "Being positive wasn't really on trend." Klum eventually found her place. As a WWD retrospective on her career recounts, she landed the 1998 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover and became the first German model to earn Victoria's Secret Angel wings.

Reaching the top of the industry did not end the scrutiny. Klum recalled photographers making her cry during shoots and said people repeatedly told her she was too fat. Still, she saw something very different when she looked at herself. "People said I was fat, but when I looked in the mirror, I was like, 'I don't know what the heck they're talking about. I don't look fat.'"

At the time, Klum said she wore a size 24 jean and stood 5-foot-9-and-a-half. Years later, as her body naturally aged, the person closest to her noticed — and offered an opinion she had never expected to hear.

Her Husband Saw the Changes — and Said the Unexpected

During the interview with Us Weekly, when Klum was asked about Hollywood's fascination with weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic, she made it clear that she had no personal interest in using them.

She also acknowledged that her body today is not the same as it was in the earliest years of her modeling career. "I've gained weight over the years. I'm no longer a size 24 jean." In an industry where models are routinely encouraged to become smaller, Klum might have expected the person closest to her to see the difference as something that needed fixing.

Instead, Kaulitz told her something she had rarely, if ever, heard during her career:

"My husband was the first one who pointed that out. He said, 'You should eat more; you would look better if you had more meat on your bones.'"

Klum was caught off guard. "I was like, 'What?'" The suggestion was almost the opposite of everything the fashion industry had taught her to expect. Klum said models are generally told they should be thinner than they already are, making Kaulitz's perspective particularly unusual to her.

Over time, however, she began to see his point. "When I look back at photos, I'm like, 'He's right!' Proportion-wise, I look better bigger."

Klum Is Not Interested in Policing Other People's Choices

Although Klum said weight-loss drugs are not for her, she did not criticize people who choose to use them.

The model acknowledged that someone who has struggled with weight for decades may view such treatments very differently. She took a similarly open position on Botox, facelifts, and other cosmetic procedures, arguing that people should be free to make choices that help them feel comfortable with themselves.

The discussion comes as weight-loss drugs remain a major talking point in celebrity culture. Ice Spice, whom Klum praised as one of her favorite "Project Runway" guest judges, previously rejected speculation about using Ozempic.

According to People's report on the rapper's response, Ice Spice attributed her weight loss to working out, eating healthily, and the physical demands of touring.

For Klum, confidence is less about a measurement than a person's sense of identity. "What makes a person sexy is knowing their self-worth and knowing who they are," she said.

Klum questioned the value of obsessing over every physical detail, including body measurements and cellulite, when a person is made up of far more than those things.

At 53, She Has No Plans to Slow Down

Klum's reflections on aging come during another packed period in her career. She is returning for Season 22 of "Project Runway," appearing in Calzedonia's 2026 beachwear campaign, and preparing for the upcoming installment of "Germany's Next Topmodel."

"I always say I'm 53 and just getting started," Klum said. "I love what I do," she added, "and I always have." The new "Project Runway" season is also expanding the competition. According to Deadline's report on Season 22, 22 designers will compete, making it the largest group in the show's history.

Law Roach and Nina García join Klum on the judging panel, while Christian Siriano returns as mentor. The season also features appearances from personalities across "Dancing with the Stars" and other reality television shows.

After more than two decades of hosting and judging reality competition series, Klum said contestants still keep the experience fresh for her.

She understands their hunger from personal experience. Her own career began after she beat thousands of contestants in the German modeling competition that changed the course of her life.

Her Marriage Offers a Different Kind of Connection

Away from work, Klum has been married to musician Tom Kaulitz since 2019. The model said their shared German roots have given the relationship a kind of understanding she had not experienced before. Despite their age gap, Klum said the two share similar values and cultural references.

She was also playful when discussing how they keep their marriage exciting. "We definitely 'exercise' a lot together. [Laughs.] The kind of exercise without machines."

Klum said the connection goes beyond the physical. "It's hard to explain, but the souls connect, not just the body and the flesh. The hearts and souls connect in a different kind of way."

Their schedules can make time apart difficult. Kaulitz tours, while Klum sometimes spends weeks filming away from home, a major adjustment after the couple spent much of the COVID-19 pandemic together with the family.

Klum said they make the distance work by supporting each other's careers. When Kaulitz tours, she is happy to become a fan in the crowd, while he also visits her sets.

When Work Stops, Klum's Favorite Life Is a Simple One

Despite a career built around cameras, fashion, and television, Klum said her ideal downtime involves very little stimulation. She enjoys looking at the sky, walking along the beach, swimming, and doing nothing with Kaulitz. Klum joked that the couple heads out like German tourists, carrying bags, floaties, umbrellas, chairs, and coolers until they find their spot.

That laid-back private life sits alongside an increasingly busy public one. Klum was recently named UNICEF USA's newest ambassador after working with the organization since 2011.

Her involvement has included visits to UNICEF-supported programs abroad and years of work with the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign. The organization said the campaign, which marked its 75th anniversary in 2025, has helped raise nearly $200 million for children globally.

As for what comes next, Heidi Klum prefers not to announce projects before they are ready. "There are always things in the works, but I'm not someone who loves to talk about things until they're out," she said. "I'm a believer in doing the work and then surprising people."