When Heidi Klum and Seal announced their separation, it seemed somewhat sudden. The pair always presented the wackiest Halloween costumes year after year, and they appeared to have a pretty solid bond. But in 2012, they split after seven years of marriage.
E! News wrote that they had "grown apart," but based on Heidi's latest relationship, it seems like it was flawed from the start. She married Tom Kaulitz just a year and a day after they met, and she seems happier than ever.
"For the first time, I have a partner who I can discuss everything with," the model told People. "Someone who shares duties that we all have in our life. I used to be on my own with everything." She added, "For the first time, I get to experience what it is actually like to have a partner."
This is Heidi's third marriage, which means that she apparently experienced inequality over the labors of a relationship at least twice before — once with Seal, and once with her first husband, hairstylist Ric Pipino.
Heidi was attached to Ric from 1997 to 2002. In 2003, she met Seal in a hotel lobby. Supposedly, she was initially attracted to him based on the fact that he was wearing bicycle shorts. "I pretty much saw everything," she reportedly told Oprah Winfrey. "The whole package."
In December 2004, Seal popped the question to Heidi during a romantic Christmas ski trip. Just months later, in May 2005, the two got married. That could have been because approximately nine months after the proposal, according to E!, the two welcomed their first biological child, Henry Günther Ademola Dashtu Samuel.
It would be interesting to learn when things started getting rocky. Starting in 2006, the couple began renewing their wedding vows every year in an extravagant fashion. But tabloids believe that things got rocky in 2011, well after they added two more biological children to their family. Even though photos of their family trip to Ibiza seemed lovely, people reported that cracks had begun to show.
The Daily Mail reported that Seal partied too hard on the trip. While he was out at clubs, Heidi was on her own watching their kids, including her daughter from a previous relationship who had officially taken on Seal's last name years prior. The Mail cited a source who said, "They've spent a lot of time apart too on work assignments and that hasn't helped matters."
In 2012, after the news was announced, the Daily Mail alleged that Seal's bad temper also had something to do with it. Of course, the couple's public statement didn't hint at this at all. In fact, they kept it loving and vague: "While we have enjoyed seven very loving, loyal and happy years of marriage, after much soul-searching we have decided to separate."
Heidi married Tom Kaulitz in February 2019, and she can't stop gushing about him. Tom is a 30-year-old guitarist for the band Tokio Hotel, and according to Heidi, they have a lot in common. "He’s really game for anything. We’re very similar that way,” she said, according to USA Today. "He enjoys life and is very generous. He’s super kind. I just found my partner finally, you know?"
Tokio Hotel is a pop rock band from Germany, and Tom is one of the original band members. They've been around since 2001 and have quite a following. Decades ago, they made appearances on MTV's TRL, meaning that he's used to being in the spotlight. Reportedly, their marriage happened just two months after the proposal. Heidi certainly seems very sure about this one.
But her recent comments say everything. Even though she's still somewhat in newlywed bliss, openly shooting down her past partnerships — each of which lasted much longer than this one so far — means that Heidi may have never been happy at all. Maybe she just assumed that she was supposed to be the one to handle the mental workload, or all of the house tasks. It's a problem that many women have.
Telling People that she was happy that she finally met "someone who shares duties that we all have in our life" is way too relatable. Just recently, more people are starting to put a spotlight on the mental load that many of us need to carry around. Women often feel responsible for managing everything and fixing problems when they occur. A very popular feminist comic essay made the rounds a few years back called "You should've asked."
In it, it outlines that men often see women as being responsible for managing household chores. The male partners will do things if asked, but they don't openly take the initiative to do help out themselves. This isn't every relationship, or every man, but it often falls that way. And it seems like that's what Heidi may have been dealing with for years.
True partnerships split the responsibilities, no matter what they are. And partners who are quick to jump in when they notice an issue are very much appreciated — especially in a household where kids are in the mix, like when Heidi and Seal were together. If the Ibiza reports are true, and Seal had a great time while Heidi managed the parenting responsibilities alone, it's reasonable for tension to build.
Prior to marrying Tom, Heidi once said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, "I've been married twice. I still believe in love and marriage, I do. Even though I failed twice at it. I guess I'm not very good at it." That statement is heartbreaking, and hopefully, she doesn't feel that way anymore now that she's happier.
As for Seal, he reportedly doesn't want to talk much about Heidi's new guy, meaning that there may still be some hurt feelings years later. According to Page Six, he was approached for comment about it and stated, "Let’s talk about something more interesting." Then he added, "I just don’t have a lot of interest in that subject in general. What am I gonna say? What do you actually want me to say? I’m as confused as you are."
The most important thing is happiness. Hopefully, Seal can move forward the way Heidi did. And hopefully, Heidi will realize the importance of a true partner. Relationships will get rocky at times, but as long as you're with someone who views you as an equal partner, issues should be easier to navigate.
