Heidi Klum, born June 1, 1973, is a German supermodel, actress, fashion designer and artist. She was born in Bergisch Gladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. She is most widely known for her appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and Victoria’s Secret catalog. In addition to modeling, she has appeared in several TV shows, including Spin City and Sex and the City.

She had a role as an ill-tempered hair model in the movie Blow Dry, played a giantess in the movie version of Ella Enchanted and was cast as Ursula Andress in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers.

In December of 2004, she became the host of a reality show called Project Runway on the U.S. TV station Bravo, in which contestants compete for a contract to design clothes for Banana Republic. Her own fashion designs are featured in the German mail-order catalog “Otto”. She also has designed shoes for Birkenstock, jewelery for Mouawad, and swimsuits -featured in the 2002 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue – that were available for sale through her personal website.

Heidi Klum is an avid painter and has had several of her paintings appear in various art magazines in the U.S.

After being married to hairdresser Ric Pipino from September 1997 to November 2002, she had relationships with more famous men, including singer Anthony Kiedis and Formula-1 racing team manager Flavio Briatore. The relationship with Briatore was broken off during her pregnancy with daughter Leni. Klum announced her engagement to the British soul singer Seal on January 4, 2005, and they married on May 10, 2005.

Heidi Klum’s daughter, named Leni (after Heidi’s grandmother), was born on May 4, 2004 and weighed 7lbs. 14oz. The father is Flavio Briatore, but Seal is helping her raise the child. In the earlier stages of their relationship, Heidi said Seal treats Leni if she were his own child.

On March 17, 2005, Heidi and Seal announced that they were expecting a child. Heidi gave birth to an 8lb. 9oz. baby boy, named Henry Günther Ademola Dashtu, in Los Angeles on September 12, 2005. On April 16, 2005, Heidi raised eyebrows among media types and mothers alike when she commented that caring for newborns was a simple chore since, “babies take care of themselves—they know how to poop on their own.”