Heidi Klum talks weight, reveals husband Tom Kaulitz told her to 'eat more'
After years of being told she was "too fat" for the modeling industry, Heidi Klum is embracing the body that helped make her a supermodel.
Reflecting on a career spanning more than three decades, the 53-year-old said she's happier with a fuller figure than she was when fashion insiders pushed her to be thinner.
"I'm no longer a size 24 jean. But I think with age, we look better when we're not as skinny," Klum told Us Weekly in an interview published Wednesday, July 8.
Klum credited her husband, Tokio Hotel guitarist Tom Kaulitz, with helping shift her perspective. The pair married in 2019.
"He said, 'You should eat more; you would look better if you had more meat on your bones,'" she said. "This is not something you're told in the industry, ever, because you're always supposed to be skinnier than you are."
Looking back at old photos, she added, "He's right! Proportion-wise, I look better bigger."
Klum's figure ultimately became part of what set her apart. She landed the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 1998 and rose to international fame a year later after earning her wings as a Victoria's Secret Angel.
"I felt comfortable before, too. 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,'" she said.
Still, Klum said she faced criticism. "I never understood the size zero thing. You don't exist if you are a size zero."
Before becoming a household name, Klum built much of her early career modeling for catalogs, where she said some shoots tested her confidence.
"They said I wasn't doing a good job and people told me I was too fat," she recalled.
She also remembered criticism from influential figures in fashion.
"Big names like Karl Lagerfeld would say that I'm [a] nobody, and [things like], 'Why is she always smiling so stupidly?'" Klum said. "You can't please everyone, and not everyone is going to like what you do, but you have to look in the mirror and be happy with who you are. I did find my niche, and look who's still here."
Klum remains active in both fashion and television. She's the face of Calzedonia's latest beachwear campaign and returns as host of Season 22 of "Project Runway," premiering Thursday, July 9, on Freeform. Episodes will stream on Disney+ and Hulu after they air.
Law Roach and Nina Garcia return as judges, while Tyra Banks will make several appearances throughout the season. Season 4 winner Christian Siriano is also back as the contestants' mentor, a role previously held by Tim Gunn.
Guest judges include Ciara, Fausto Puglisi, Ice Spice, Iman, Kiernan Shipka, Niecy Nash, Nina Dobrev, Sergio Hudson, Willy Chavarria and Winnie Harlow.
Contributing: Greta Cross, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Heidi Klum talks weight, reveals husband Tom Kaulitz told her to 'eat more'
Reporting by Charlie Carballo, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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This story was originally published July 9, 2026 at 12:55 PM.