The few times I’ve caught Wendy Williams’ show I’ve been thoroughly amused. Wendy seems to truly love gossip, and she regularly tells it like it is and calls people out. Wendy was discussing Heidi Klum’s new relationship with the bodyguard recently, and she pretty much said that Heidi must have been screwing the help back when she was married to Seal, considering that Heidi’s new boyfriend has worked for their family for four years. Heidi first confirmed the relationship in September, but claimed at the time that it was “new.” In a more recent interview, Heidi told the German press she was “in love” and that she fell for the bodyguard during the four year period he worked for her family. Well that really set Wendy off! She went off on Heidi during a gossip commentary segment on her show. Honestly, I didn’t care too much about this story before now. Wendy got so worked up that she got me to care, you know? Here’s more, from US Weekly. US gives the impression that Seal was there on Wendy’s show, but he wasn’t. Wendy was just kind of addressing him in general, letting him know she had his back.

On her self-titled talk show Tuesday, Williams, 48, tore into the Project Runway host, 39, and her intense new romance with her longtime bodyguard Martin Kirsten.

Although Klum went public with the relationship — her first since she and husband Seal announced their separation in early 2012 — in September, Williams argued to her audience that Klum and Kirsten have been romantically involved for much longer than that.

“He’s worked for Heidi in the family for four years. Seal, you know what that means — and not just when you were out of town,” she said, later adding, “I don’t think this is a new relationship, do you?”

(Of her South African-born beau, Klum recently told German magazine Bunte “I’m in love!” She explained to Katie Couric back in September that the romance had “just started” with Kirsten over the summer. Although Seal initially lashed out about Klum’s new beau, complaining that his ex was “fornicating with the help,” he later explained that he never implied his wife cheated during their seven-year marriage.)

Referring to a displayed snapshot of Kirsten carrying and embracing Leni, the eldest among Klum and Seal’s four kids, Williams commanded the “Kiss or a Rose” singer to “[get] half her money.”

“I haven’t reported a story about love this disgusting since Sandra Bullock and that man,” Williams continued, referring to Bullock’s ex-husband Jesse James, who infamously cheated on the Oscar-winner with many women.

“It pains me to report stories like this when the woman, in my mind, is clearly in the wrong,” Williams ranted.

She then offered Seal an action plan to “get back at” Klum: “You don’t let the finances go with this divorce. I don’t know how much you’re worth, but she’s worth more. you need half!”

Her second suggestion for Seal? “You need yourself a new girlfriend,” she advised. “Someone young, hot and with a long future in modeling, and really fertile.”
She added: “I’m thinking someone like Kate Upton would make Heidi’s pot liquor cooler.”

[From US Weekly]

I went back and read US’ recap of what Heidi told German magazine Bunte, (I missed it because it came out on Friday) and Wendy is absolutely right. Heidi admitted in that story that the bodyguard worked for her family for four years and that she fell for him during that time. She said “I’m in love,” and added “This is one reason why I’m so fond of him. He’s been helping me for four years now, and he takes wonderful care of the kids. He plays with them, he protects them. I trust him.” That’s ridiculous! It’s one thing to openly date the guy, it’s quite another to admit that she fell in love with him while she was married to Seal! All of this happened when she was gushing about Seal and how Seal was such a great husband and father. Maybe she’s rewriting her history with this guy in order to make Seal jealous, but either way it’s very, very shady. You wouldn’t expect Heidi to learn that she should STFU about her relationships either, after how it turned out with her marriage.

I guess Seal was telling the truth when he said Heidi was screwing the help on the side.

Update: A lot of you are commenting that Heidi isn’t admitting falling in love with the bodyguard when she was married. That’s what I read into it, but I’m definitely taking a leap. The fact that she admits he has been with her for four years is very suspicious to me.

Heidi Klum is shown on 10-6, 11-3 and 11-11. Credit: WENN.com

Heidi Klum has made an odd move in confirming her relationship with her bodyguard (ex-bodyguard? I’ll get to that in a minute), Martin Kristen, by releasing some details in a new exclusive with People. To recap, some photos surfaced last month of Heidi and Martin looking awfully cozy during a vacation with Heidi and Seal’s children. In the aftermath, Seal popped off to TMZ about how he expected much better from Heidi than for her to “fornicate with the help,” and he wished that Heidi “would have shown a little more class and at least wait until we separated first.” He ended his rant with “I guess you all now have the answer that you’ve been waiting for for the past seven months.” The obvious implication there was that Heidi and Seal divorced because she was banging the bodyguard on the side, but of course, Seal tried to backtrack and say he didn’t mean it like that. Whatever.

A few days later, Heidi spoke out, but she kept it vague by saying “Seal has moved on and so have I,” which was a statement that seemed to inform the world that she might be banging Martin, but she definitely wasn’t doing so while they were married. Now People has the “inside story” that includes details from Heidi’s appearance on the new Katie Couric talk show but also, creepily, word from some Klum insiders about why she and Martin are so good together. I’m illustrating the story with some photos of Heidi and Martin over the past few years. They seem like they’d be an odd couple, but I guess that’s a non-issue now that we know they’re together:

When rumors surfaced that relations between Heidi Klum and her bodyguard of four years, Martin Kirsten, weren’t strictly professional, it was unclear what was really going on. “It’s complicated,” a friend of Klum’s tells PEOPLE, explaining that Kirsten, also 39, is Klum’s “no. 1 confidante.”

Well, someone cue Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” because it seems like Klum is singing a different tune: On Wednesday’s episode of Katie Couric’s new daytime talk show, Klum, 39, admits, “[Martin]‘s a great man and recently we just got to know each other from a completely different side.”

“He’s been with our family for the last four years. He’s cared for our four children and helped us tremendously,” Klum also said during her Katie interview. “I trust him with my children’s life.” And her happiness, too, apparently. “He was always her rock,” says an insider. “While everything was crumbling in her personal life he was there for her.”

In addition, “he shows real care and concern for her and her children,” adds the Klum pal. “She relies on him. It’s a little bit of cliché with The Bodyguard movie. I don’t know what will happen in their lives.”

Why They Work
After seeing photos of the model-mogul and the South African bodyguard on a recent beach vacation to Sardinia with Klum’s family, the attraction between the pair isn’t hard to figure out.

“Tall and handsome are very accurate words for him,” says a source. “He can be funny and light but he’s also very professional, which is why I’m really surprised” by the relationship.

Trained in private personal protection with weapons, “Martin takes his job very seriously,” echoes another family source. “It’s not like him to cross the line with a client. At the same time it’s totally understandable. Martin is very loyal to Heidi. They had a friendship that turned romantic.”

For a person like Klum, who is not a regular in the Hollywood social scene, it’s easy to understand why she would fall for a guy close to home. “If there’s someone around who knows your children and knows everything around you, it’s pretty comfortable and easy to connect,” says the Klum friend.

One person who wasn’t thrilled with the news? Klum’s estranged husband Seal, 49, who declared his dismay in a now infamous TMZ video in which he said he wished Klum “waited until we separated before deciding to fornicate with the help.”

“He’s upset,” says a source close to the singer, who only learned of the budding relationship when the rumors made headlines. “What really bothers Seal was this guy was a dear friend. They called each other ‘brother.’ He feels betrayed.”

[From People]

Isn’t that a nice little detail at the end about why Klum’s people believe that Seal is upset? Such maneuvering has occurred on both sides of this divorce. Meanwhile, other details from Heidi’s interview with Couric leaked earlier this week, most notably with Heidi claiming that nothing happened with Martin when she was with Seal: “When we were together, I never looked at another man.” In addition, this week’s issue of In Touch reveals that Heidi has hired a new bodyguard, who was apparently at her side on Sept. 4 and 7 during a trip to NYC. Who knows if this means that Martin is no longer employed by Heidi, but I’m guessing that he probably is. This new bodyguard is probably just there for the damage control because, yeah, it looks bad for Heidi to be sleeping with anyone that she pays. It’s kind of a Gosselin move.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet

Just for reference’s sake, I decided to illustrate this story with a few photos of Seal and Heidi smooching for the cameras while on vacation last August in Porto Cervo, Sardinia. Either things went south very quickly in that marriage (remember, they filed for divorce in January), or they were faking it at that point. Heidi must really like Sardinia though since she just took another vacation there, which resulted in bikini Twitpics and a set of photos that revealed she’s very friendly with her bodyguard.

Then came the public declaration from Seal that, in no uncertain terms, Heidi was banging her bodyguard while they were married (“I would have preferred that Heidi would have shown a little more class and at least wait until we separated first before deciding to fornicate with the help“). And then he also stated that this infidelity was the true reason for their divorce (“I guess you all now have the answer that you’ve been waiting for for the past seven months). It seems like he was making his true feelings known, right? Well then came the obligatory denial from Seal’s camp, sort of an “I didn’t really mean to make anyone believe she was banging the help even though that’s what I said.” Whatever. At this point, I’m sort of disgusted with not only Seal but Heidi as well since she thinks that because Seal is dating chicks, he shouldn’t receive joint custody of their kids. Never mind that she’s free to date her bodyguard, right? Well now Heidi has spoken too, and she’s at least trying to keep it classy right now:

It’s Heidi Klum’s turn to speak.

Three days after her soon-to-be ex-husband, Seal, 49, commented on her rumored relationship with bodyguard Martin Kristen, the Project Runway host issued a statement of her own.

“I cherish all of the great memories Seal and I created together over the years. Our separation was based on issues between the two of us,” Klum, 39, tells Us Weekly. “Seal has moved on and so have I. My priority has and continues to be protecting and providing for our children.”

A source previously told Us Seal felt ambushed by TMZ while leaving an airport August 31. When TMZ asked Seal to share his thoughts on Klum’s recent vacation in Sardinia with Kristen, he said he “would have preferred Heidi show a little bit more class and at least wait until we separated first before deciding to fornicate with the help, as it were.”

Klum’s rep denied any infidelity on her client’s behalf, and Seal’s rep later told Us his words were misconstrued. “Seal would like to clarify that he was not implying his wife was cheating while they were together, but he was merely pointing out that their separation and divorce were not final and they are still legally married.”

[From Us Weekly]

From Heidi’s words (“Seal has moved on and so have I“), I gather that she’s delivering an indirect confirmation that both she and Seal have been dating other people since their separation. I also assume that she means that she is currently dating her bodyguard and that she probably had a discussion with Seal that resulted in him delivering his “clarification” about his speech to TMZ a few days ago. We know what he really meant though, and regardless of whether Seal was just blowing off steam or being intentionally nasty, he really should of kept his mouth shut on the matter. After all, Seal and Heidi’s kids are going to read that stuff someday.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet

Last week, we covered the story that Heidi Klum was gunning for primary custody of her four children with Seal for two reasons: (1) He’s dating other chicks now; (2) He made the questionable judgment call of using photos of the kids in a commercial. This move on Heidi’s part has apparently ended the virtual cease fire between the former couple.

After months of silence on Seal’s part, he’s definitely talking now. The Mail has some vacation photos of Heidi “cavorting” with a man, Martin Kristen, who is believed to be her bodyguard of four years. While the photos aren’t overtly incriminating, the two do look very comfy together, and at one point, he puts his arm around Heidi’s shoulders as she smiles towards him. I have to wonder whether this is the same guy that was said to have physically restrained Seal when he allegedly pushed Heidi during a fight last year, and perhaps the situation was a catalyst for a budding relationship between the two. That’s just me thinking out loud though.

Some brave TMZ cameraman asked what Seal thought of Heidi possibly dating her bodyguard, and Seal made a surprising move by giving his full thoughts on the situation. Apparently, Seal either believes that Heidi was sleeping with Martin during their marriage, or he just wants the public to believe that’s what happened. Either way, Seal says Heidi’s infidelity is the true reason for the divorce.

“You know, that’s what happens when people separate. They move on, and that generally means other people in their lives. I certainly don’t expect Heidi to all of a sudden become a nun, but as always, my main priority is the emotional well-being of our children. And to be quite honest, if there is going to be someone else in their lives, I’d much rather it be a familiar face. I guess the only thing that I would have preferred … at once, I didn’t expect any better of him. I would have preferred that Heidi would have shown a little more class and at least wait until we separated first before deciding to fornicate with the help. But I guess you all now have the answer that you’ve been waiting for for the past seven months.“

[From TMZ]

Okay, so this little speech follows Seal’s general M.O., which is to say some very eloquent things on the outset, but then he follows all of those relatively nice words up with a huge double punch. In the wake of Seal’s not-so-subtle accusations, Team Klum has also contacted TMZ to say that, well, maybe Heidi might be sleeping with Martin now, but she definitely wasn’t doing so before the separation. Hmm:

Seal’s accusation that Heidi Klum cheated on him during their marriage is absolutely false … at least that’s what Heidi is telling close friends.

TMZ posted a video this morning in which Seal said straight out said Heidi was screwing the bodyguard while they were together — and that is why their marriage fell apart.

Heidi told one close friend today her relationship with the bodyguard was “strictly professional” while she was with Seal.

The friends tell us that since the split, Heidi says she has gotten “very close” to the bodyguard … who has helped her through the difficulties of ending a marriage

As for the nature of their relationship now … all the friend would say is it’s “undefined.” So that’s what the kids are calling it these days.

Heidi’s friend adds, “It’s sad but not surprising that he would resort to making excuses for their divorce when the real reason is looking him in the mirror.”

[From TMZ]

To add to the murky waters, a Klum source tells assures People that Heidi and Martin are not exactly dating, but … “It’s complicated. This has been a difficult time. Her inner circle of people she trusts is getting smaller and smaller and he is her No. 1 confidante.” It’s also worth mentioning that this vacation was not an exclusively coupley endeavor, for Seal and Heidi’s children as well as Heidi’s parents were along for the ride.

Still, I don’t get why — if you’re Heidi or one of her sources, and you’re going to talk to the media instead of ignoring the rumors — there can’t just be a simple “yes” or “no” answer on this subject. Is Heidi currently banging her bodyguard? My gut instinct says it is probably happening. Did she do so while she and Seal were married, and is that the true reason for the divorce? Who knows, but this split is getting very ugly.

Update: Us Weekly just heard from Seal’s rep, who argues that even though Seal pretty much said that Heidi was banging the help while they were together, Seal totally didn’t meant to imply such a thing. Oh yes, he did.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet

Here’s Heidi Klum debuting her “Truly Scrumptious Collection” at Babies ‘R Us in New York while wearing an outfit that would make Snooki proud. Seriously, Heidi is rocking the “Jersey Shore” leopard print and fake tan so hard, and all she’s really forgotten is the glitter. Maybe next time.

The real story here though is that things are heating up in the battle between Heidi and Seal for custody of their four children (three of them being the couple’s bio kids and the eldest being Heidi’s daughter that Seal formally adopted). Yes, we all thought the divorce would be a civil one, but the couple separated in January, and there’s no signs of a settlement anytime soon. In April, Heidi formally filed for divorce and asked for primary custody, but Seal has been adament that he will settle for nothing less than joint custody. That same month, Heidi was rumored to be banging co-star Thomas Hayo (on “Germany’s Next Top Model”), and it really looked like they were more than just friends since Hayo was spotted feeding Heidi food off his plate in public. Too soon.

Now a story in this week’s Star says Heidi has decided she’s going to fight for primary custody even though she was going to agree to joint. What happened? Well, Heidi is angry that Seal used some personal photos of their children in a commercial. Also, Heidi is irritated that Seal has been casually dating women (he was spotted kissing Delta Goodrem backstage at an awards show). Of course, I still side with Heidi on the issue of Seal’s violent temper, which is evidenced by him pushing her and needing to be physically restrained by security as well as Tatjana Patitz’s confirmation that Seal’s not a terribly nice person. But never has Heidi alleged that Seal is a danger to their children. She’s only making issue of this other seemingly extraneous stuff. Here’s a photo of Seal with his kids in New York City in July as well as the details from Radar Online:

When they first split in January it was hoped that Heidi Klum and Seal’s unexpected divorce would be amicable for the sake of their children, but sadly now the gloves are coming off and things are heating up, the new issue of Star magazine is exclusively reporting.

Seal has since countered the super model’s request for primary physical custody by demanding that they both get equal time with the kids, and has also contested Heidi’s claim that there weren’t any joint assets that needed to be divvied up, Star reveals. Seal is worth $15 million, Heidi $70 million — so a lot is at stake.

Both those legal battles are still being fought and now a third disagreement is thrown into the mix after Seal used intimate shots of the children — Leni, 8; Henry, 6; Johan, 5; and Lou, 2 – in an ad campaign for a Leica digital camera without Klum’s permission.

“Heidi felt that the children had gone through enough since their parents split, and she didn’t want their private moments out there for the world to see,” said an insider. “But Seal maintained he had every right to use his personal photos – and, moreover, that it was a done deal and out of his hands.”

The German model hired a lawyer to demand that Leica retract the video and within days it was taken down.

“Heidi isn’t trying to cause trouble,” revealed the friend, explaining that Heidi has always tried hard to keep her children out of the spotlight. “She’s just trying to protect her brood. Since she filed for divorce from Seal, hes been out with more than one young woman, whereas Heidi hasn’t dated at all.”

Despite a number of reports that the reality host has been dating Germany’s Next Top Model executive Thomas Hayo, she has denied they are anything but coworkers.

“She’s not interested in beginning another relationship right now. Her primary goal is getting the kids through the divorce and making sure they are healthy and happy,” the source said.

[From Radar Online]

First off, Seal did a questionable thing by using photos of his kids in a commercial without at least notifying Heidi that he was going to do so. At the same time, it’s odd that Heidi is upset about “private moments” being revealed when she and Seal were Mr. and Mrs. PDA while they were together. It’s different for the kids, I get that. But it’s still an unexpected thing for Heidi to take issue with after all these years of sticking her tongue down Seal’s throat in public. Just saying.

Secondly, Heidi really doesn’t have a right to try and assert primary custody based on the fact that Seal’s been seeing chicks. Was he actually parading these chicks around naked in front of the kids? Doubtful. Heidi really has no leg to stand on if she’s merely complaining that Seal is dating other women. At times like these, I’m reminded of that classic “Beverly Hills 90210″ moment when Dylan McKay said to Brenda Walsh, “The fact of the matter is you gave up any right to ask me questions about my sex life when you decided you didn’t want to be a part of it.” To which my father remarked, “He’s absolutely right.” And then I hid my face in a couch cushion.

Oh, and Heidi has been posting bikini photos on her Twitter account. Here she is in Sardinia.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet

Once again, I’m always confused when months after a couple splits up, media outlets treat any kind of formalization of their split months later as some kind of epic “breaking news!!!!” coverage. Back in January, TMZ and other outlets got various scoops about divorce, and then Heidi Klum and Seal basically announced that they were over, and that they were currently separated. While Heidi and Seal have both made some comments about leaving the door open for reconciliation, I don’t think anyone really bought it, and in the end, everyone just got used to the idea that Heidi and Seal were no more. On Friday (the Friday before Easter), Heidi filed for divorce from Seal. Breaking news!!! Except not really.

Nearly three months after announcing their separation following almost seven years of marriage, Heidi Klum has made it official and filed for divorce from Seal, PEOPLE has learned.

A petition, which lists irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split, was filed Friday afternoon in Los Angeles Superior Court, PEOPLE confirms.

Klum is seeking joint legal custody, but primary physical custody of their four children – Leni, 7½, Henry, 6½, Johan, 5, and Lou, 2 – with visitation rights for Seal. The model is also requesting to have her maiden name restored. She legally changed it to Seal’s last name, Samuel, though professionally she continued to use Klum.

“While we enjoyed seven very loving, loyal and happy years of marriage, after much soul-searching, we have decided to separate,” the couple previously said of their split. “We have had the deepest respect for one another throughout our relationship and continue to love each other very much, but we have grown apart.”

Rumors first swirled that Klum, 38, and Seal, 49, were planning to divorce the day before they made the announcement. For the couple who married in Mexico in 2005, the split played out in headlines as the end of a fairy tale as both Seal and Klum gradually stopped wearing their wedding rings.

Although multiple sources told PEOPLE that the couple hoped to reconcile, by mid-February it was clear a reunion would not be in their future after all.

Seal was vocal about their split in the weeks following their announcement.

“When you publicize your marriage as much as our marriage was publicized, when you renew your wedding vows, when you do all those things, what you are saying to people is … you’re giving people a picture of an ideal relationship that people aspire to,” the British singer explained in February. “When it goes south, you can’t all of a sudden take the philosophy of a monk and decide to go for a vow of silence.”

The quieter Klum acknowledged in the April issue of Elle that she couldn’t control what Seal said to the press, but “it’s hard.”

“People don’t need to know who did what,” she said. “I don’t want to talk positively or negatively about the ups and downs that we had.”

[From People]

My question is “Why did she wait to do it on Good Friday, like it was some huge news story that she hoped that people would ignore for 48 hours? Because everyone ignored it anyway, but not in the way Heidi hoped.” So… whatever. Seal and Heidi are over. And can I just say? Even though I’m on Team Heidi by default (because why not?), I think both Heidi and Seal are acting like jackasses by claiming “privacy” and “nobody’s business” at this point. They’re talk about everything in their marriage to the point of exhaustion, but when it all goes south, then they clam up?

Here are some photos of Heidi and the kids over the weekend in Brentwood:

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Heidi Klum appears in the April issue of Elle (the one where pregnant Jessica Simpson officially takes the cover). Heidi’s been largely silent since she and Seal, her husband of seven years, split in late-January, and I presume that she has finally started talking to the media only because she has to promote the upcoming season of “Project Runway.” It’s gotta be tough to know that everyone wants to ask questions about the very subject that hurts the most.

In the aftermath of the separation, we’ve heard many theories about the deterioration of Seal and Heidi’s marriage. The overriding theory seems to be that Seal’s alleged violent temper played a large role. His ex even came forward (after over a decade of silence) to semi-confirm the theory, and we also heard that (at least on one occasion), Seal pushed Heidi and had to be physically restrained by security. Of course, none of this may be true at all, but Seal’s incredibly passive, charming way of discussing his wonderful wife during an “Ellen” appearance” seems suspicious. Anyway, we’ve heard from Seal, and now we’re finally hearing from Heidi:

What she’s going through: “I feel like I’m in the eye of the tornado. It’s emotions inside of your body that are a tornado. And then the outside world doing all this craziness — with you wanting it or not wanting it — is another tornado. But as hard as it is, so is life. And sometimes I think a curveball just comes at you. Instead of something straight that you catch, it hits you in the head from the side that you didn’t expect.”

Why the split shocked the public: “To the outside world, you don’t really share all the things that happen. You kind of share just the most amazing sides. But I don’t really want to get into any of that stuff. With my life, my family, my business — I want to go forward. I feel like already there are so many things being said about us — about him, about me. I’m not going to comment. Otherwise it makes you angry. You can’t always call and say, ‘This is not true, but this part is true.’”

Did it bother her that Seal spoke out? “He’s a grown man. I can’t tell him what to do and what not to do. It’s hard.”

Sorry, she’s not spilling: “People don’t need to know who did what. I don’t want to talk positively or negatively about the ups and downs that we had. Every couple goes through things. Unfortunately, we’re in the public, so the highs are out there. I’m a lioness. I have four cubs. I’m a mom. I want to take care of my kids and protect them. I don’t want to talk about them, or him, or me.”

[From Elle]

Heidi obviously doesn’t want to talk at all about the split, but one can’t really blame her for wanting to stay as silent as possible. In fact, she probably wouldn’t have said anything at all if promoting “Project Runway” wasn’t a factor. It’s rather obvious that she didn’t appreciate Seal speaking out about their marriage too; and about a week ago, he spoke briefly with with People about his reason for doing so:

“When you publicize your marriage as much as our marriage was publicized, when you renew wedding vows, when you do all those things, what you are saying to people is … you’re giving people a picture of an ideal relationship that people aspire to. When it goes south, you can’t all of a sudden take the philosophy of a monk and decide to go for a vow of silence. It doesn’t really work like that. I respect my wife’s decision not to talk about that, but I felt that people at least deserved some kind of explanation why the picture of the ideal wasn’t what they thought it was.”

[From People]

What Seal says here makes sense if you take his statements at face value, but I still believe that he was trying to charm Heidi into taking him back when he spoke publicly about her. Seal also had a new album to promote as well. Then again, Heidi now has a show to promote, but at least she’s keeping her comments to the bare minimum.

As of mid February, Seal has since taken off his wedding ring and drawn attention to that fact by wearing bright yellow nail polish. People also has confirmed that Heidi and Seal have no plans to reconcile.

Photos courtesy of Elle

Earlier this week, several outlets including People reported that Seal had stopped wearing his wedding ring (and drew attention to that fact with chartreuse nail polish) while Heidi Klum still wore hers. At the time, Kaiser, CB, and myself decided that the story wasn’t worth covering by itself, but I’d like to now reflect briefly upon Seal’s eloquent speech on Ellen (made in late January) in response to why he was then still wearing his ring as “[A] token of how I feel about this woman. We have eight years. Eight wonderful years together … [R]ight now it feels really comfortable on my hand, so I have no intentions of taking it off anytime soon.” Just a few weeks later, Seal has apparently changed his tune, and I have to wonder whether it’s because he’s figured out that Heidi isn’t buying his public act of gentle, passive demeanor.

It’s rather hard to believe that it’s still been less than a month since the divorce rumors hit and Heidi and Seal announced their separation. Then we very quickly heard competing theories about the reason for the split, and much of the attention focused upon a Seal’s alleged emotional volatility. His ex-girlfriend, Tatjana Patitz, stepped up with a story about Seal’s violent temper during their late 1990s relationship, and we heard about how Seal had to be physically restrained by security after he pushed Heidi during a mid-January fight that took place right before the split. So the perception has been, rightfully or not, that Heidi and Seal’s marriage failed largely because of his anger issues.

This week’s issue of Star shifts the focus somewhat to Seal’s so-called “double life” and Heidi’s frustration therein. The tabloid refers to details from their prior story (which didn’t get much play at the time) that Heidi was shocked to discover Seal’s “hidden” criminal past from the 1980s when he was arrested for selling pot and “promoting prostitution by placing hookers’ numbers in public phone booths.” Star also adds details to existing accounts of Seal’s temper by claiming that (on at least one occasion) Seal’s temper caused his children to burst into tears. Now Heidi has reportedly decided to take their four children and move far away from Seal’s preferred homebase in Los Angeles:

Heidi Klum isn’t about to play nice when the wellbeing of her kids is at stake. Although the “Project Runway” host and her estranged spouse, Seal, had seemed to remain on amicable terms for the sake of their four kids, they are now gearing up for a fierce custody battle in the wake of shocking revelations about the “Kiss from a Rose” singer’s criminal past, Star has learned.

“The original agreement was that Heidi would have primary custody and Seal could visit at any time,” a source explains. “But since the breakup was announced, Heidi has been looking to pack up their home in Brentwood and go back to New York.”

There are good reasons Heidi wants to distance herself and her children from Seal, 49, who plans to keep L.A. as his permanent base, says the source. “She believes his lifestyle and criminal issues don’t provide a ‘conductive environment’ for their kids” — Henry, 6, Johan, 5, Lou, 2, and Leni, 7, Heidi’s daughter from a previous relationship, whom Seal adopted in 2009. His temper often raged out of control, as Star has reported, and “Seal pushed Heidi,” says the source. She was also rattled when, in 2010, Seal exploded at a staffer in front of the kids, the source adds, causing them to flee in tears.

And she’s been left reeling after learning about Seal’s sordid past. As Star recently revealed, he had multiple run-ins with the law before he met Heidi, including busts for drug trafficking and promoting prostitution, though he was not jailed. “Heidi had no idea,” says the source.

But now, she’ll do whatever it takes to ensure that their kids have a stable home. “She’s dumbfounded that Seal led a double life,” says the source. “Things are going to get nasty between them.”

[From Star, print edition, February 27, 2012]

As always, this is tricky material to analyze, and it’s particularly difficult in this case because there really are no public records on the internet about Seal’s prior troubles with the law that occurred — literally — decades ago. Obviously, that part of his life has been over for quite some time, and I’m not certain whether such distant offenses could be considered as leading a “double life.” Of course, Heidi has the right to feel blindsided if she never had the information beforehand, but it’s not like Seal has persisted within a chronic string of legal troubles all along.

Now the temper issues are worth getting worked up about and possibly even moving across the country when it comes to protecting Heidi and Seal’s children. Perhaps such a tactic will motivate Seal to sign up for anger management therapy, which would definitely be a good thing no matter how one spins it.

Photos courtesy of WENN

Yesterday, we covered a story about Seal’s ex-girlfriend, Tatjana Patitz, who claims that he indeed has a violent temper, and she’s glad that Heidi Klum has separated from Seal for the sake of the children. Who really knows about the true nature of Tatjana’s motives for speaking out on the matter, but her words do lend credence to previous reports that Heidi and Seal’s split had a lot to do with Seal’s alleged emotional volatility. As stated previously, I believe that Seal does have an anger management problem that he keeps under wraps in favor of the very passive, eloquent demeanor he recently displayed during the “Ellen” appearance. This belief is based upon my own observations of abusive relationships and not upon any sort of generalization.

Now the tabloids are now painting an even more frightening picture of Seal’s behavior towards Heidi and women in general. Yesterday, I was hoping that Seal’s alleged temper merely meant that he was a screamer or puncher of walls if anything, but Star puts forth an account of Seal’s anger escalating during a mid-January fight, wherein he pushed Heidi with such force that her security guard had to break things up and “physically restrain Seal.” Scary, right? Star also talked to an insider on Seal’s recent tour who says that he generally treats women with disrespect. This is getting pretty ugly:

“We will be connected [for] the rest of our lives … through this tremendous admiration, respect and love that we have for each other,” Seal said of his estranged wife, Heidi Klum, on the Jan. 24 episode of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” But the “Project Runway” host may not share that sentiment — as Star can exclusively reveal that Seal pushed her in a blowout fight just before their split!

According to a family insider, the couple, who wed in May 2005, got into a full-blown screaming match at their L.A. home in mid-January. “Heidi told friends that Seal just lost it,” the insider tells Star. “He was screaming — and, she said, he pushed her. It was horrible.”

The encounter escalated to the point that Heidi’s security guard had to intervene, a source tells Star. “He had to physically restrain Seal,” the source says.

And Seal’s bad behavior toward women extends far beyond Heidi, 38. While on tour with the “Kiss From A Rose” singer, a female employee claimed a number of men on Seal’s crew subjected her to sexual advancement and verbal harassment — calling her a “hooker” and accusing her of “screwing” her boss. When the situation was brought to Seal’s attention, he dismissed it “as a harmless joke,” a source tells Star. Then “after a campaign by the male crew members to get her faired, she was sacked.”

It all may be a sign of who Seal, 48, truly is. “How can a man with a wife and daughter just let this happen?” says the source. “He just doesn’t seem to care.”

[From Star, print edition, February 13, 2012]

There’s also a story in this week’s issue of In Touch that fills in more about the Tatjana tale that we covered yesterday but also quotes an insider that believes Seal is “acting like he’s still in love with Heidi” as “an important marketing tool,” which is probably true to an extent. Still, I think that Seal is being outwardly charming to try and woo Heidi back, and he’s probably not nearly as passively loving behind closed doors. In Touch also includes another statement from Tatjana that Seal was very kind in the early months of their dating relationship because, “In the courtship, it’s different.”

Well, it’s always different at the beginning of every relationship, right? But if you’re dating a person with anger problems, such changes can be much more jarring than simple matters like, say, simply being less thoughtful as a relationship wears on. Like I’ve already said, hopefully this is all a bunch of crap. But if it isn’t, Heidi did the smart, strong thing of getting out of the relationship.

Photos courtesy of WENN

Anyone remember Tatjana Patitz? She’s a German model who was pretty big in fashion circles in the 1990s — Patitz appeared on that infamous Vogue cover (alongside Naomi, Linda, Christy, and Cindy) and was one of several supermodels featured in George Michael’s “Freedom” video. Just watching that video takes me back. Anyway, Tatjana happened to date Seal for about a year in 1997, and she has taken it upon herself to speak out about the alleged violent temper that has already been the subject of speculation. Tatjana confirms that, in her experience, Seal does indeed have “anger issues,” and she believes that Heidi is doing the right thing by leaving the relationship. The first instinct here is to say, “Poor Seal,” because it must really suck having a famous ex-girlfriend claming such things about you, but this is worth a read:

She fell for him because of his amazing talent and charming personality. But Seal’s former girlfriend Tatjana Patitz has broken her silence to reveal she split from the singer because of his temper tantrums.

And she has warned his estranged German supermodel wife Heidi Klum not to consider a reconciliation with the Kiss From A Rose singer for the sake of their children.

According to In Touch magazine she described the 48-year-old English crooner as a selfish and immature man who cannot control his volcanic personality. The model, who is also German, said: “He is not a nice person. He has anger issues. He is definitely not someone who I think of fondly now.”

Her claims come hot on the heels of previous reports that Klum, 38, demanded a divorce because she was worried about the effect Seal’s “inability to control his temper” was having on their children.

It has also been alleged that the Project Runway star had grown tired of his love of “hard partying.” But while there are no suggestions the Londoner was unfaithful to Heidi, Tatjana believes the hunk cheated during their relationship, which lasted almost a year in 1997. While it is not clear if her belief is true, Seal has himself admitted that he had been unfaithful in many of his previous relationships.

Tatjana is pleased Heidi has decided against talking about her husband in public to protect their three children together. Seal also adopted her first daughter Leni, who was fathered by Formula One tycoon Flavio Briatore. Tatjana believes a divorce would be the best option, “because there are children involved.”

Heidi and Seal announced their divorce on January 23 following a slew of rumours about the state of their relationship. It was a shock because the perception was they had one of the strongest marriages in showbusiness.

The “Crazy” singer has been mounting a charm offensive which many believe is an attempt to win back his wife. He sang the song “Let’s Stay Together” on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, and also wore his ring. Seal told the comedienne: “Yes, I’m still wearing my ring. It’s a token of how I feel about this woman.” He also told chat show king Piers Morgan his love for Heidi, “had not waned one iota.”

[From Daily Mail]

Sigh…. the subject of tempers and the role they play in domestic situations is such a tricky topic. While there have been absolutely no reports of Seal getting physical as a result of his alleged violent outbursts, the implication is definitely there. I’m not saying that he hit Heidi or anything — perhaps it’s more of a question of punching walls or the like. In my own experience (and I swear that this is not a generalization) that is based upon people that I have observed, it is entirely possible for a person to be incredibly charming (see Seal’s eloquent “Ellen” appearance) and seem very gentle and passive for all outward purposes. Then when the doors close, that personality can change in a very drastic manner. While it’s really easy to feel sorry for Seal (seriously, he seems so bloody nice) because his ex-girlfriend is speaking out about his temper, let’s just remember that she knows the guy. And hopefully, she’s not just making sh-it up for money. Not that I’d be pleased to learn that Seal really is a violent ass, but you catch my drift.

Here are some photos of Tatiana from 2010. She’s aging well but looks botoxed to the hilt.

Photos courtesy of WENN