Leni Klum on Confidence, Criticism of Lingerie Ad & Carving Her Own Path in Modeling

Leni Klum knows exactly who she is—and she’s not letting negativity get in the way of her dreams.

Heidi and Leni Klum pose for Intimissimi’s fall-winter 2024 campaign. Photo: Intimissimi

At just 20 years old, the daughter of Heidi Klum and Seal is making a name for herself in the modeling industry. But with fame comes criticism, and Leni isn’t immune to it—especially after her joint lingerie campaign with her mom for Intimissimi last year sparked mixed reactions.

But instead of letting the hate get to her, Leni is choosing to focus on what really matters.

“No matter what you do, there will always be someone who doesn’t like it,” she told Glamour Germany. “You can’t control that, and you can’t focus too much on the negative.”

Her secret weapon against online trolls? She doesn’t even read most of the negative comments—especially since many of them are in German, and as she casually admits, she doesn’t fully understand them.

Smart move, Leni.

More Than Just a Pretty Face

Leni isn’t just coasting on her famous last name—she’s balancing modeling with her studies at NYU, where she’s pursuing interior design. And for those who think modeling is just about looking pretty, she’s quick to shut that down.

“Modeling requires a lot of discipline,” she explained. “There are so many things that happen behind the scenes that you don’t even see in the final product.”

Her biggest inspiration? Her mom, Heidi Klum, of course.

Leni grew up watching Heidi in action, begging to tag along to shoots just so she could take it all in.

“I was fascinated by everything on set—hair, makeup, the energy,” she recalled. “I knew right away I wanted to do that too.”

But even though she was eager to jump into the industry at just 13, Heidi made her wait—a decision that Leni now admits was the right call.

“At the time, I didn’t get it,” she said. “But looking back, she was right!”

Leni Klum’s Definition of Success

Despite the pressure of being a second-generation supermodel, Leni isn’t chasing fame—she’s chasing happiness.

“For me, success is satisfaction,” she said. “As long as you’re happy and what you do fulfills you, then you’ve really achieved it.”

And that’s exactly the kind of energy we love to see. Leni Klum isn’t just following in her mom’s footsteps—she’s carving her own path, on her own terms.