Heidi Klum Goes Into Mama Bear Mode Defending Lingerie Shoot

Heidi Klum isn’t backing down from critics who questioned her decision to appear alongside her daughter, Leni, in a lingerie advertisement. The 52-year-old supermodel recently addressed the backlash surrounding their 2023 Intimissimi campaign, making it clear she has no regrets about the professional collaboration with her 21-year-old daughter.

The mother-daughter photoshoot sparked divided reactions when it was released, with some praising the duo’s confidence while others found the concept inappropriate. Despite the mixed response, Heidi stands firm in her support of both the campaign and her daughter’s modeling career.

“A lot of people are like, ‘Oh, I don’t know about mom and daughter doing this together,'” Heidi told People in an interview published July 28. “But for us? I’m proud of my daughter. She’s fine with me like that.”

The “America’s Got Talent” judge attributes her comfort with the shoot to her European background and long-standing approach to body positivity.

“I’ve always been very open with my body,” she explained to the outlet. “When I’m suntanning in the backyard, I might not have a top on. I’m European.”

Raising Body-Positive Children

Heidi believes her relaxed attitude toward the human form has positively influenced all four of her children. She shares Leni with her ex, Flavio Briatore, who was later adopted by Heidi’s former husband, Seal, as well as sons Henry, 19, Johan, 18, and Lou, 15, with the Grammy winner.

The model suggests that her children have developed healthy relationships with their own bodies due to the environment she has created at home. Her approach emphasizes natural comfort rather than shame or secrecy about physical appearance.

“My kids don’t know me any other way,” she continued, “and are probably more easygoing with their bodies because of it.”

Meanwhile, Leni has developed her own strategies for handling criticism as she builds her modeling career. The New York University student previously shared her perspective on managing negative feedback during an interview with Glamour Germany.

“I always try to remember that no matter what you do, there will always be someone who doesn’t like it,” Leni said in the March interview. “You simply have no control over it and you can’t focus too much on the negative.”

The young model noted that professional modeling involves much more than what audiences see in the final images. “There are a lot of things that happen behind the scenes that you don’t even see in the end product,” she told the German publication. “Modeling requires a lot of discipline.”

Building an Independent Career

Leni has been working to establish herself as a model in her own right, despite acknowledged advantages from her famous parentage. She made her professional debut alongside her mother for Vogue Germany in 2021 and has since worked with brands such as Dior Beauty and Fila.

Leni is aware of the “nepo baby” label but focuses on proving herself through hard work. She balances her modeling career with her interior design studies in New York City, where she moved to pursue both education and professional opportunities.

“It’s just a fact. My parents are famous,” Leni told the magazine in 2022. “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.”

She continued, “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.”