“I did get help”: Heidi Klum’s daughter Leni opens up about nepotism claims and her famous parents

Heidi Klum's daughter, rising star Leni Klum has always been at the center of conversations addressing her as a "nepo baby". She recently opened up to People Magazine and got candid about how grateful she is for having influential parents, but reiterated that she is putting in the work.

Leni Klum (image via Instagram/leniklum)

Although the 18-year-old is the daughter of supermodel Heidi and R&B musician Seal, Leni is self-aware and grateful for being given a leg up before she ventured into the industry. She is following in her mother's footsteps and has plans on becoming a model.

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Heidi Klum's daughter opens up about nepotism

Leni Klum opened up about having famous parents in the same industry. She has supermodel Heidi Klum as a mother, and was adopted by Seal after he married Heidi in 2005. She mentioned to People that having famous parents was just a fact, stating:

“It’s just a fact. My parents are famous."

Leni said that she is grateful for the help she has been given by her parents, revealing that she appreciates the head start, further continuing:

“I did get help starting off, and I know that people would dream to start off with what I had. I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to take what was gifted to me by my mom.”

Leni at the Berlin Fashion Week (image via Marijo Cobretti)

However, Leni claimed that she does not use her family's connections, disclosing that she is putting in the hard work and setting herself up. She stated that among other things, she attends school and spends time working and traveling alone.

“But I am doing the work and putting in the time. Now I’m working on my own, traveling alone, going to school. My mom and I just have the same love for the same thing,”

Leni also mentioned that when she was approached by clothing brand Brandy Melville to model their clothes, Heidi Klum told her that she couldn't accept the job. This worked out for the best as Leni started her career at the age of sixteen by sharing the cover of Vogue Germany with her mother - a publication from Heidi's home country.

Leni claimed that her mother preventing her from taking up the Brandy Melville job inspired her to venture into modeling more.

Leni Klum's debut with mum Heidi Klum for Vogue Germany (image via Vogue/Chris Colls)

The rising star in the modeling industry has already scored deals with Dior and GHD and has moved from Los Angeles to New York to further elevate her career.

She is currently in college studying interior design, and when asked about what inspired her to take the course up, she pointed to her mother's maximalist closet, revealing that being a minimalist herself, she was always finding ways to redo it.

Leni made her runway debut at the age of 17, at Dolce & Gabbana's Alta Moda show, held in Venice in August 2021. During Milan Fashion Week 2022, she walked the runway again in Leni Klum x About You, with mother Heidi Klum supporting her on the front row.

Apart from living the college lifestyle as a freshman, she is also designing a second clothing collection with About You for their spring/summer 2023 launch.