Singer Seal, 60, took a break between concerts in New York and shared an emotional photo with his eldest daughter, Leni Klum Samuel, thanking her for changing his life 19 years ago.
Singer Seal, 60, was photographed in New York City with his eldest daughter, Leni Olumi Klum Samuel, during a brief break between concerts. The four-time Grammy winner shared the image on his social networks with the message: “In New York with the young lady who changed my life for the better 19 years ago. Thank you, Leni, for making me a better person. I love you, Dad.”
Seal Henry Olusegun began his relationship with Heidi Klum when she was pregnant with their daughter Leni, who was the fruit of Klum’s relationship with Italian businessman Flavio Briatore. Despite this, Seal was present at the child’s birth. Subsequently, the Briton, of Nigerian and Brazilian descent, officially adopted Leni in 2009, four years after marrying the German model on a beach in Mexico.
Italian businessman Flavio Briatore told the Corriere Della Sera newspaper at the time: “The three of us quietly agreed that it made more sense for me to adopt her, because a child needs to grow up in a family”.
Since then, Seal has played the role of Leni’s father and shared his perspective on fame with her: “I have tried to instill in my eldest daughter, Leni, that the word ‘celebrity’ implies that you are famous for being famous… Leni is in the public eye at the moment and I must say that I am very proud of her. She has understood that it is a means to achieve something else and that being famous will not give you self-esteem,” the artist stated.
Recently, the model was spotted with her two youngest children, Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel, 16, and daughter Lou Sulola Samuel, 13, at Beyoncé’s concert in the United States. In addition, Klum and Seal, whose seven-year marriage ended in 2012, will celebrate the 18th birthday of their eldest son, Henry Günther Ademola Dashtu Samuel, on September 11.
Leni, who is an ambassador for several lingerie and cosmetics brands, acknowledged that she received help to start her career and expressed gratitude for her success. She said, “Now I work alone, travel alone, study alone…and I have the same love for fashion as my mother.”
Leni Klum’s relationship with Flavio Briatore
Flavio Briatore’s relationship with his 19-year-old daughter Leni Klum was not always ideal. Although he did not initially acknowledge her as his daughter, last year he surprisingly revealed that they still keep in touch. In August this year, Briatore shared images of a vacation in Monaco where he was enjoying time with Leni and his youngest son, Nathan Falco, 13, the product of his relationship with Italian presenter Elisabetta Gregoraci.
Briatore wrote: “On vacation in Monaco with Leni Klum and Nathan Falco Briatore”. These images reveal a relationship that goes back a few years. “We see little of each other but that doesn’t mean I love her any less,” Briatore assured 2022. He also mentioned that Nathan Falco had discovered Leni’s identity through the Internet and asked her parents about it.
Since that first contact between the brothers, the two families met in 2021 in Capri so that the two brothers could meet in person. Since then, it seems that the relationship has continued, with Leni spending time with Briatore and his family every summer. Briatore expressed his love for his daughter and his pride in her modeling career. He also mentioned that the biggest obstacle in their relationship is distance and that he keeps in touch with Seal.
It is worth remembering that Heidi Klum and Seal divorced after seven years of marriage and had four children together: Leni, Henry (17), Johan (16) and Lou (14). The relationship came to an end due to irreconcilable differences between the couple and not due to the interference of third parties, as initially speculated. In 2019, the model married musician Tom Kaulitz, member of the band Tokio Hotel, with whom she has shared her love life ever since.