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.
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.”
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.
Heidi Klum took the cover of two weeklies with the news of her sad split from her husband, Seal. We’ve already seen advance details from her People cover. Heidi is also on somewhat celebrity-friendly US Weekly with the ominous title “Heidi’s Private Hell.” The inside story does place some of the blame on Seal, but it’s not as scandalous as you might assume and just tells a very similar story as People about how they drifted apart and how Seal’s temper played a role. It’s very expertly written in that it makes you feel like you know them and have the inside story, but there’s nothing particularly damaging in it toward Seal. Heidi is playing the sympathy card, but she’s taking the high road, which seems to be the best decision for her kids. They’re going to look this up someday. This also bodes well for any custody agreement Heidi and Seal might reach. They both love their kids and I don’t think we’re going to see much fighting over custody rights. Here’s some of US’ report:
Inset: “They were so in love! But a lot happened behind the scenes. He’s a very tough guy in a lot of ways.”
Heidi Klum sat across from her husband, Seal, the day after Christmas, lunching with their foud children at the Buttermilk ski area, where the couple had rented a house for the holidays. “They didn’t speak to each other the entire time – for at least 45 minutes,” says a fellow guest. “You could tell there was a lot of tension between them.”
Perhaps there was nothing left to say. For all of their public displays of intense affect… the couple were privately grappling with marriage-breaking issues. Among them: Seal’s mood swings and his jealously about Klum’s skyrocketing career. “They had a rough road lately,” says a source close to the pair. They were so in love that they wanted to get married over and over again, but there were dark moments they didn’t want to expose to the public…”
While Klum, 38, and her 48-year-old husband were in Aspen for the holidays, all of their issues came to a head. “Aspen didn’t go well,” says another confidant. “They fought a lot it was a very hard trip.”
Friends say the fighting was part of daily life for the pair…
They fought a lot
Klum has admitted to having “ups and downs with Seal,” says another Klum source. “They were the kind of couple who could have a huge fight over an order at Nobu.” Adds another, “They just have a very tempestuous love. They’re either madly in love or having crazy fights…”
They’re so different
At the root of the blowups: the fact that they are two fundamentally different people. “She’s an upbeat, happy person,” says one friend. “He comes from a very troubled, sad background. It’s what makes him a very difficult person to be married to.” The London-bred singer was initially raised by a foster family, and a battle with discoid lupus left his facial scars. “He’s had a sad life,” says the confidant, adding that he grew up to become “volatile and moody.”
Seal is controlling and jealous
At times, his temper flared, according to sources. “He is not a nice person,” says one source, who claims that Seal “would often talk down to Heidi in public. He spoke to her at business functions like she was the help. It was so degrading.” When Seal felt she was holding court at a Victoria’s Secret show, says the source, he became incensed at the attention. “He was yelling at her for doing press and saying that she needed to calm down and why does she need to be in the spotlight all the time?” And as demands on her time increased, he seemed to want to make all the choices for her…
When he turned his focus onto his own career and began to tour heavily, Klum was left to watch the children – Leni, 7, Henri, 6, Johan, 5, and Lous, 2 – all alone in the months leading up to the blowouts in Aspen. [Ed note: 3 nannies isn't exactly "all alone."] “He’d been away for months and months on tour.”
Says a source close to Seal. “He tours, too, but most of the time he was home with his family while she worked.
“It’s hard to make a marriage work when one parent is with the kids most of the time. They always took turns and it led to separate lives…”
For now, as they decide whether to officially file for divorce, both Seal and Klum are taking the high road in public.
[From US Weekly, print edition, February 6, 2012]
I didn’t know all that about how Seal had such a rough upbring. Their split makes a lot more sense to me, and maybe things got incredibly bad before Heidi announced their separation. It’s unclear whether she’s going to go through with a divorce at this point.
Seal is still doing publicity for his new album, and he’s still speaking glowingly of Heidi and their kids and the life they have together. It really seems like he wants her back, but it could just be a clever PR move and it’s hard to tell. As we heard yesterday Seal is still wearing his wedding ring. I would love to see if Heidi is still wearing hers, but I haven’t spotted any paparazzi photos of her since the Golden Globes, where she was wearing her ring. (Update: She’s still wearing it! Thanks biteme.) On an appearance on Piers Morgan, Seal again explained why he’s kept the ring on and he gushed about Heidi and their kids.
Following his split from the Project Runway host, Seal has been relatively candid about discussing the break-up, but could reconciliation be on the horizon for the soul singer and Klum?
“Never say never,” Seal said, in a sit down with Piers Morgan that airs Friday.
“Obviously I can’t speak for my wife and I’m not gonna sit here and B.S. you and tell you we haven’t had problems,” the Grammy-winning artist said. “Of course we’ve had problems. Otherwise, why are we splitting up? This is not a charade. We have problems. We have issues. But, in our favor, I think that to our credit, we have always been able to talk about it. We have always been able to confront each other.”
When asked if he would like to get back together with Klum, Seal said, “I don’t know at this point, to be honest. If it were that easy, if there weren’t problems, we would still be together. That is the reality.”
So, what’s up with Seal still wearing his wedding ring in spite of the couple’s blatant separation?
“I still wear my wedding ring, because I’m still married to this incredible woman,” Seal said. “And you don’t all of a sudden one day to the next—unless you’re those type of people—just say I hate you and take off your wedding ring. What this means to me and what it stands for, it stands for respect. It stands for loyalty, it stands for incredible memories and it stands for these four little miracles and Heidi making five that have come into my life over the past eight years.”
And if you’re surprised that Seal referred to Heidi as a “miracle,” don’t be.
The “Kiss From a Rose” crooner has made it no secret that he still loves his wife, and further expressed that on Piers Morgan Tonight, telling the late-night host, “My love for her has not waned one iota. I love her with all my heart. How can you not love somebody that you have just spent eight years with?”
Sweet. The guy did after all sing “Let’s Stay Together” on Ellen Tuesday, right?
That’s really sweet and tugs at my heart strings a little. Heidi has reportedly hired a divorce attorney, but she hasn’t filed for divorce yet. I kind of hope she sits on it for a while and just takes a wait and see approach. Maybe things are much worse for these two than we can imagine though. There’s no way of knowing what goes on even inside your best friends’ relationships.
Heidi and Seal are shown on 2-13-11 and 12-26-10. Credit: WENN.com
Heidi Klum and Seal’s split takes the cover of People this week, and from the advance details on People’s site we can assume this is the official story from their camp as to what preceded their separation. I think they’re leaving out key details, as I’ve mentioned in past coverage. People mentions their Aspen trip this holiday as a stressful one for Heidi and Seal, which we’ve heard before, and they also try to explain why Heidi and Seal were so demonstrative – they were covering up the problems in their relationship. I sort-of buy that, but it doesn’t all add up for me.
As Seal opens up about his split from Heidi Klum and details about their fight-filled trip to Aspen emerge, friends of the couple reveal that the couple took great pains to hide the cracks in what seemed to be a storybook romance.
“They were just really great at keeping it private and putting on that ‘perfect couple’ front that everyone expected,” says a Klum pal. But “it’s actually been about six months that they’ve been working through some issues.”
“It was a crazy love affair with highs and lows,” says a source close to the couple, known for their over-the-top romantic gestures and lavish anniversary parties. “Most people can’t sustain the highs when they’re that extreme.”
But even though they’ve decided to part ways, says one source close to Seal, “I believe they were madly in love.”
Heidi Klum and Seal’s trip to Aspen over the holidays was supposed to be about fun, family and skiing. But, sources tell PEOPLE, the Colorado resort town turned into the place where the now-separated couple realized their marriage was over.
“Aspen didn’t go as well as planned … there were more lows than highs,” one source says. “Aspen was the final straw.”
The couple, who were often apart due to work commitments, had hoped for quality time in the mountains.
“When they came together for Christmas as a family, things had changed and they fought a lot,” another source says. “Their Aspen trip was a bit of a mess. Instead of enjoying being back together as a family, it was difficult for them to get along.”
While on vacation, Klum hit a point where she was “done with the arguing,” the second source says. “She doesn’t want to fight anymore and thinks it’s better to separate before their arguing starts to affect their kids.”
Despite what was going on behind closed doors, people who are used to seeing Klum, 38, and Seal, 48, in the celeb-friendly ski town didn’t necessarily notice signs of trouble.
“They seemed very happy together,” one photographer tells PEOPLE of the pair, who are now grieving their relationship. “They couldn’t stop kissing and cuddling. They spent a lot of time with their kids, but also managed to sneak in several solo ski runs together. If they were having problems, they were definitely not showing during the day.”
Another source, who described the vacationing couple as “playful,” says they were “talking and seemingly very much in love.”
These are all very vague reasons and sound like things that all couples go through. What surprises me about these stories is that there’s no mention of Heidi and Seal seeking couples counseling for their issues. If they were arguing and feeling disconnected, wouldn’t that be the first course of action, especially for a couple as seemingly loved-up as these two? Maybe the full article mentions that they’ve been in counseling and this teaser article leaves it out.
Having witnessed some of my friends go through separations with their husbands, it’s almost unheard of for it to happen without someone cheating, at the very least emotionally. It’s usually the guy if it’s the wife that files, and even though the husband cheats/cheated he acts shocked that the wife wants out and claims he wants to stay with his wife and family. I know that sounds like I’m blaming Seal, but I’m just looking at this based on what I’ve seen. Many people have serious issues in their relationship, but doesn’t it seem rare for them to get divorced due to arguments or simply growing apart – especially if they have kids? Then again, none of my friends are rich. We’re middle class and we face a very harsh economic reality if we get divorced. Heidi and Seal have no such concerns. They have kids together, but they have a ton of help and it’s not like they’re ever going to scramble to make ends meet if they lose their partner’s income. They live in a different reality than the rest of us, one where they can hold lavish destination commitment ceremonies every year.
These photos are from 12-26-11 in Aspen, 10-14-11 at the pumpkin patch and 8-14-11 in Italy. Credit: FameFlynet
That was fast. Right after we heard that Seal and Heidi Klum were splitting up, Seal moved forward with pre-arranged commitments to promote his upcoming album, Seal 2. He’s taped interviews that will air on both PBS’ “Tavis Smiley Show” and “Ellen” in which he hasn’t been shy about talking about his breakup. Seal’s responses were surely well thought out, but they came across as genuine and very positive and loving toward Heidi and their family. He also explained why he’s still wearing his wedding ring and admitted that he’s grieving.
“I think we were shocked,” Seal explains on Ellen. “You go into these things with the greatest intentions when you say ‘I do’ and you say ”Till death do us part.’ Those vows hold value. They are not just words. These things happen. We pretty much said how we feel and made it clear in the release statement.
“But, for intents and purposes of this show, you just grow apart after awhile. You try and you work through it and the thing that you quickly realize when you are married and you become a parent is you do the best that you can. It makes you actually appreciate your parents a lot more.The thing that I’m most proud about this great woman who married—and I really do mean that from the bottom of my heart—is that together she has given me four incredible gifts…four beautiful children.
“She still, in my opinion, the most wonderful woman in the world. I think our priority was to remain civil and do this thing with dignity. We still very much love each other. It’s not a question of we were never to follow suit of some breakup or separations that you hear about, especially in our industry. It’s a shame. To say that neither of us were grieving would be an out and out lie, and I don’t mind telling you that. I think the operative here is that we are civil to each other and we both have a tremendous amount of respect and love and we try and do this with as much dignity as we possibly can. And of course, when you have four children, you hope and pray that the rest of the world will respect that we have four children and that their little hearts are at stake, too.”
And why is Seal still sporting his wedding ring?
“I think it’s just pretty much a token of how I feel about this woman. We have eight years. Eight wonderful years together. Just because we have decided to separate doesn’t necessarily mean you take off your ring and you’re no longer connected to that person.
“We will be connected in many ways till the rest of our lives…through our children and also through this tremendous admiration, respect and love that we have for each other. Will we wear the ring for the rest of our lives? Who knows? But right now it feels really comfortable on my hand, so I have intentions of taking it off anytime soon.”
When it came to Smiley’s interview, he asked Seal about the timing of his split with the release of such a “romantic” album, and how he stays focused on the music with everything in his personal life “falling apart”, the singer seemed to have similar answers.
“We have a tremendous amount of love and respect for each other, and also, of course, our children are our first priority. I think we’ve pretty much said everything that we needed to say about it in the statement that we released.
“But how does one stay focused? Um, just because you decide to separate—I don’t think you all of a sudden stop loving each other, I don’t think you all of a sudden stop becoming friends. Especially when there are other things to take into consideration, like family. So to be honest, it’s not really that difficult and it’s not really that much of an issue. What one has to do in this situation is to remain civil and to retain one’s dignity and to be professional and to understand we are not the only people on this planet that go through this. It is just, unfortunately, a chapter of life.”
A lot of you pointed out that it was unfair of me to focus on Seal and his alleged bad temper as the reason for Heidi and Seal’s breakup, and you’re right. I’m a woman and I have a few friends who have gone through divorces. I always get my female friends’ perspectives on their breakups which is of course one-sided so that’s what I tend focus on in my coverage. In the case of my close friends (and a few acquaintances) their men cheated on them, got caught, and then their wives were the ones to pull the plug. The men wore their wedding rings well after their wives told them it was over, and they talked a lot about how much they loved their families and didn’t want to lose them. I see a lot of parallels in this story is what I’m saying. Given what I’ve seen in my friends’ divorces, and what we’ve heard about Seal and Heidi’s split and how their friends didn’t see it coming, I don’t think that the only thing Heidi and Seal are dealing with is conflicting schedules or communication issues. I do think they still have a lot of love for each other and for their kids, and I hope they keep it classy. TMZ is reporting that Heidi has already shopped around for divorce lawyers and has found one through which she’s going to file for divorce.
Update: I just found this article on USA Today [via WeSmirch] in which they interview a therapist who says that excessive PDA may be a clear sign of trouble in a relationship. I don’t necessarily agree, some people are just like that with their partner, but this is what a lot of you have mentioned and I wanted to report on it:
Exposing yourselves so literally, as Klum and Seal did, is about “overcompensation,” says New York psychotherapist Bonnie Eaker Weil, author of Make Up, Don’t Break Up, “because they want to prove not only to themselves but to the rest of the world that everything is fine.”
Sometimes, Weil says, overt affection is a means of overcorrecting for specific problems at home. “It’s like a tease,” she says. The guy who makes sexually suggestive comments about his wife at a dinner party? “That’s the couple that’s not having sex at all.”
The unsealed nature of their relationship made Seal and Klum Hollywood’s gift to the public’s fascination with celebrity matrimony.
There was their May 2005 marriage, the details of which they spilled in interviews. In May 2011, the two renewed their wedding vows, something they did every year around the time of their anniversary. Traditionally, the couple donned some sort of costume. Last year, she wore a mask, and he came decked out in a pirate headdress and blue vest.
The annual “I do’s” were “just unusual,” says Linda Mintle, a Chesapeake, Va.-based marriage and family therapist and a Beliefnet blogger. (Typically, couples renew their vows once, after enduring a hard patch.) “I kind of wondered if that was an attempt to get back on track every year, to get them focused on the marriage.”
There’s a reason The Seven Year Itch resonated. “If you look at the research, they’re at the really pivotal point when more than half of divorces happen, at the seven-year period,” Mintle says. “What that usually means is those seven years were not great.”
But they sure looked great, on the surface. Klum and Seal loved to celebrate. On Halloween, they threw their annual lavish costume party in New York, showing up — and hamming it up — in matching, elaborate ape get-ups. On Sept. 29, they appeared to be a vision of goofy happiness while posing for photos at Disneyland, as part of the Magic Kingdom’s Halloween Time celebration. And in August, they locked lips while boating in the Mediterranean Sea.
And the two never met a red carpet they didn’t love. Yes, that was them kissing while arriving at the Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscar viewing party on Feb. 27, 2011. And yes, that was them kissing again while working the arrivals line at the Grammys on Feb. 13. And while showing up at a 2007 Lorraine Schwartz party in New York. And while going to the 2005 Vanity Fair Oscar party.
But the height (or depths?) of their onstage mutual admiration society was September 2010′s Secret romp, a (literally) black-and-white metaphor for appearance vs. reality when it comes to relationships. “That’s more telling than anything,” Weil says. “What they’re uncovering in that video is what they’re covering up” at home.
“I’m sure they were hoping they could fix the problem and transpose the video to their (real) life, but it doesn’t work that way. It takes effort and work,” Weil says. “Now, they’re really naked in front of the whole world. They’re naked emotionally because the cover has been blown.”
Mintle is more circumspect. The extreme expressions of ardor “could have been fake, but it also could have been an attempt in the public to say, ‘C’mon, let’s make this work.’ “
I like that last part, in which they comment on that Secret video in which Seal and Heidi rolled around in bed seemingly nude, making out for the camera. It was kind of ironic in that nothing about their relationship seemed secret, except for maybe the fact that they had a lot of problems and issues like other couples.
Seal on Ellen
Seal on Tavis Smiley
Seal is shown in the gorgeous grey coat on 1-20-12 at LAX. Credit: BJJ/FameFlynet Pictures. He’s shown in the black coat outside The Late Show on 1-16-12. Credit: Mr Blue/WENN.com. Heidi is shown at the Globes on 1-15-12, and she was still wearing her ring then. Credit: WENN.com. Photo from Ellen credit: Michael Rozman/Warner Bros.
After playing a little backand forth with the media, and maybe holding some crisis talks this weekend, Heidi Klum and Seal have officially announced their separation. It’s sad to hear of such a well liked celebrity couple with four kids splitting, especially one that seemed as solid and loving as these two. Here’s their statement, given to People, in which they confirm the news that they’re splitting:
In an exclusive statement to PEOPLE, the Project Runway host and the singer say:
“While we have enjoyed seven very loving, loyal and happy years of marriage, after much soul-searching we have decided to separate.
“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. This is an amicable process and protecting the well-being of our children remains our top priority, especially during this time of transition.
“We thank our family, friends, and fans for their kind words of support. And for our children’s sake, we appreciate you respecting our privacy.”
The couple are parents to Leni, 7, Henry, 6, Johan, 5, and Lou, 2.
This leaves us wondering why, and assuming that something serious must have happened to break up what seemed from the outside to be a happy marriage. Seal has been on tour and Heidi has been working both in America and in Germany, which suggests too much time apart and also the possibility of infidelity. According to a new report in TMZ, which broke the story of Heidi and Seal’s impending divorce, there was no cheating going on and Heidi was just fed up with Seal’s temper:
Heidi Klum is divorcing Seal largely because she has had it with his volcanic temper … TMZ has learned.
Sources directly connected with the couple tell us … Heidi’s decision to divorce Seal has nothing to do with a third person. There is NO issue of infidelity.
But Seal’s inability to control his anger has become too much for Heidi to take, in no small part because it’s affecting their children.
TMZ broke the story that Heidi will divorce Seal, and we’ve learned this was not a snap decision. As one source said, “It was a long time in coming.”
We’re also told … their careers also played a part in Heidi’s decision. She has become a mega-entrepreneur and extremely rich, and that professional evolution has created a distance between them.
For his part, Seal has a new album coming out and he’s about to launch an international tour.
We’re told Heidi and Seal are still living under the same roof, but that will change very soon.
I believe that Seal has a nasty temper, because I remember reporting in 2008 about a video of him going off on the paparazzi and calling them “scum” for seemingly no reason. (You can still see the video here.) Seal was outside paparazzi hotspot Madeo with Heidi. Celebrities know they’ll be photographed there and it’s not like anyone was following those two or finding them at an out-of-the-way place. The photographers there were very respectful, telling Seal they liked his music and asking to shake his hand. Seal refused and said “why would I shake hands with scum?” He then got in an extended argument with the guys and claimed that paparazzi ruined lives. Heidi was kind of cowering there while Seal went off. To me it was a rare glimpse that all wasn’t as it seemed in their relationship.
British outlet The Sun points us to a recent interview with Seal in which he admits that he has issues with Heidi. He said “We certainly have differences of opinion. I mean, she’s German and I’m English, so if I said we didn’t have differences of opinion, no one would believe that.” He then went on to say they disagree about Christmas, as Heidi follows the German tradition of opening all the presents on Christmas Eve. “I just don’t see the logic in it, it’s Christmas, ie, Jesus Christ? And last time I checked, Christ was born on 25 December. But you know what, pick your battles. That’s one I don’t bother with.
“I’m going to make this T-Shirt up saying, ‘you can either be right or be happy’.”
We’ve also heard that Seal has been partying a lot and The Sun reported that he’s spent hardly any time with Heidi. They quote a source who claims “The marriage ended months ago in reality. They rarely saw each other and it wouldn’t be unusual for them to go months without spending any real quality time together. Ships that pass in the night would be an overstatement.”
Friday On Twitter, Seal posted a bizarre close-up photo of what looks like his arm with the caption “The End.” The Daily Mail mentions that Seal’s arm has a tattoo of angel wings on it, (It was such a strange picture that it was hard to see), which he probably got in honor of former Victoria’s Secret model Heidi. Tweeting that photo is the kind of douche move you would expect from someone like Ashton Kutcher, but it does suggest that Heidi pulled the plug, not Seal. So what happened exactly? Was Seal just too combative for Heidi as outlets are claiming? I’m thinking there’s probably more to it than that.
These photos are from 4-28-11, 2-17-11 and 2-13-11. Credit: WENN.com
As CB discussed yesterday, Heidi Klum and Seal might be close to divorce, according to a report on TMZ. Since TMZ released the shocking news – that Heidi WILL file for divorce shortly – other media outlets have been playing catch-up, trying to get a statement from either Heidi or Seal. So far, “unnamed sources” are the only ones talking. First up, Us Weekly:
On Saturday, TMZ reported that Heidi Klum and Seal were heading for a divorce, and that Klum would be filing the papers citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their split. But Us Weekly has learned, exclusively, that the supermodel, 38, and her husband of six years, 48, are still together — for now.
“Nothing is finalized or for sure. Seal flew back from the UK yesterday and he and Heidi are in the house together now,” friend close to the couple tells Us. “They’ve had a very rough road lately. They’re either madly in love or having crazy fights.”
The friend goes on to say that the couple’s recent trip to Aspen was full of tension, adding “they fought a lot. It was a very hard trip.”
Seal, who’s famous for his 1994 single “Kiss from a Rose” is set to spend the next month in Australia, where he will serve as a coach on the Aussie leg of the vocal competition show The Voice, alongside Joel Madden.
“It’s been very hard. but there is a lot of love there, and any decision that will be made is a tough one because they have beautiful children who they both love very deeply,” the friend says.
The couple has three biological children, Henry, 6, Johan, 5, and Lou, 2, plus Klum’s 7-year-old daughter from her previous marriage, Leni, whom Seal adopted in 2009.
People Magazine’s source has the same idea – the source says: “They’ve been fighting a lot lately, but they have no plans to announce a split right now. They’re not divorcing.” While Seal has been away from LA, their relationship struggled, but now that he’s back at their Brentwood house, the source says “they seem to be doing a lot better… They’re both wearing their wedding bands.”
So what could have caused all of the rumors and reports of a split? The Mail claims that Heidi wasn’t pleased with Seal’s recent partying ways:
New claims have emerged that Heidi Klum is divorcing her husband Seal because of his hard partying. Hollywood’s golden couple and their management are still yet to comment on yesterday’s reports of a split, but a source has said their relationship was in trouble because the singer was ‘off the rails’.
The tension is believed to have started when the pair holidayed with their three children, and Heidi’s daughter from a previous relationship, in Ibiza in August.
A source told the Sunday Mirror: ‘They were always the couple everybody strived to be but lately it all started to change. Seal seems to have been partying a lot more often than usual. When they had their holiday in Ibiza last summer, Seal hit it hard, was out at clubs and with his friends a lot and Heidi was left with their kids trying to enjoy herself. The cracks were appearing and everybody was talking during that trip. He seemed off the rails.’
The insider added: ‘They’ve spent a lot of time apart too on work assignments and that hasn’t helped matters. Then when Seal came back to the UK to do promotional work for his next album, he seemed sleepy and not with it on shows like Loose Women, when he was very late for his appearance.’
German-born Heidi, 38, is reportedly expected to file papers at Los Angeles’ County Superior Court this week citing irreconcilable differences between the pair who married at Seal’s beachfront home in Mexico in 2005. A spokesman for the former Victoria’s Secret model yesterday said a statement was being prepared which would be released imminently.
A spokesman for Seal, 48 – real name Seal Henry Samuel – did not return calls but a cryptic message posted on the singer’s Twitter page on Friday read: ‘The End.’ The message was attached to a picture that appeared to show the star’s forearm bearing an imprint of a set of wings – a possible reference to Miss Klum’s role as a Victoria’s Secret winged ‘Angel’ model.
The split paves the way for a multi-million-pound divorce battle between the golden couple. They have three children together – Henry, six, Johan, five, and Lou, two – as well as Miss Klum’s daughter Leni, seven, from a previous relationship with Italian businessman Flavio Briatore. Heidi, one of the world’s most in-demand models, is reported to have earned more than £12 million in the past year alone.
Seal, who is best known for his Kiss From A Rose single, has sold more than 20 million albums and won three Brit Awards and three Grammys in a career spanning 20 years. The couple own a home in Mexico and an £8.4 million mansion in Los Angeles.
Here’s what I think happened/is happening: I think Heidi, for whatever reason, had enough and was speaking to lawyers and she gave Seal an ultimatum. The ultimatum was probably something like, “Stop partying so much, stop traveling so much, spend more time with the family.” And it looks like Seal is trying to meet her ultimatum, I think. Out of all celebrity couples who claim that they’re “working things out,” I actually believe it with Seal and Heidi. I think she was probably trying to give him a wake up call, and it might have worked. I do hope they work out, if just for the sake of all of those babies.
Talk about leaking a story late on Friday for the least coverage. TMZ is reporting that Heidi Klum, 38, is about to file divorce from Seal, 48, after nearly seven years of marriage and four children together. (Three of whom are Seal’s, he adopted Heidi’s daughter from a previous relationship.) I’ve sometimes thought that Heidi and Seal aren’t as solid as they’ve seemed, as I get suspicious when couples seem to constantly tout how great their relationship is. Still, this is surprising and sad news. These two really did seem like they would be together until very late in life. Here’s TMZ’s report:
Heidi Klum will file for divorce from Seal … TMZ has learned.
Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … Heidi will file divorce papers in L.A. County Superior Court as early as next week. We’re told Heidi will cite “irreconcilable differences” as the cause for the divorce.
The couple married May 10, 2005. They have 3 biological kids. Seal adopted Heidi’s eldest girl from a prior relationship.
The couple is famous for renewing their vows every year on their anniversary … in a lavish ceremony.
As for splitting up the goodies, there’s a lot on the line. According to Forbes, in the last year alone, Klum raked in $20 million. It’s unclear how much Seal made.
Heidi attended last Sunday’s Golden Globes without Seal. The last photo she tweeted with him was back on December 26.
Seal was touring with his band throughout 2011 and will be touring in February and again in December of this year. He has a new album coming out at the end of this month. Was it the distance and the professional commitments that ate away at their relationship, or are we about to hear about one of them finding another partner while the other was away?
Kaiser reminded me that Heidi has been pregnant almost throughout her entire marriage. She met Seal when she was pregnant with her daughter Leni, now 7, and then they had Henry, 6, Johan, 5, and Lou, 2. In November, 2009, Seal adopted Leni, and then Heidi took Seal’s last name, Samuel, in December, 2009. (She still goes by Klum professionally.) Maybe the stress of having young kids got to them like so many other couples. I’ve seen photos of the family out with one nanny per each child, and Heidi has admitted that they have three nannies “two on at a time,” so it’s not like they’re dealing with the same reality as other families. Heidi kind of hinted at issues taking care of all their children. She told US in August that “it’s a huge responsibility to have four kids.” It must have been even harder for her with Seal away on tour. This is very sad news, especially for their children. I’m hoping it’s either not true or that they’ll try to work it out. Maybe they have been trying for some time and have been keeping it under wraps.
Heidi and Seal are shown out in Aspen on 12-27-11. Credit: Fame Pictures. The candids of them out with their kids and photographed separately are from 1-7-12 out in Brentwood. Credit: WENN.com. They’re shown at the Primetime Emmy Awards on 9-18-11, at the Globes on 1-16-11 and in August in Sardinia. Photos of Heidi in the striped dress are from 6-5-11. Credit: Fame.
Here’s Heidi Klum in a black and green Versace black a-line dress accessorized with Lorraine Schwartz bangle bracelets. I swear I saw these photos and thought that her shoes were too plain before I read this article on a blog Kaiser and I use to identify the designers, which basically says the same thing. She’s going for fashion-forward but her shoes are too conservative. Still, Heidi looks incredibly hot here. That dress is striking and looks great without being too clingy or short. I love her hair and makeup too. Remember when she used to have that terrible mom hair last year? She finally grew that out, thank goodness.
Heidi is shown in these photos at the TeenNick HALO Awards last night, and I was about to make fun of Nickelodeon for having yet another awards show, but these are actually for a good cause. They honor kids who make a difference in volunteerism and community service.
Heidi and her husband Seal are of course known for their awesome celebrity Halloween parties. They’ve worn some incredibly creative costumes in the past and this year will be no different. Heidi gave People a sneak peek at her costume and it’s going to involve a bodysuit that shows all the human musculature. This reminds me of that dude that was on PBS kids when I was growing up. (What was his name…Slim Goodbody, yay! I love the Internet.) Heidi told People that she loves to make her costumes unique. This one will involve some crazy face paint for sure.
“It’s kind of like a dead body with the first layer of skin ripped off,” she tells PEOPLE of her costume. “It’s basically like me naked.” In fact, every vein and muscle was painted on to replicate her own body structure. “All my veins and blood will all be visible,” she says with a laugh. “You don’t feel quite naked with it because it is so colorful.” As for her husband Seal, she says, “He liked it!”
Klum, this year’s UNICEF Trick-or-Treat Ambassador, admits that Halloween is her favorite holiday, and it shows: in the past several years, the party hostess has dressed up as an apple from the Garden of Eden, Lady Godiva and, in 2010, a larger-than-life superhero. So she suggests going all out when creating your own disguise.
“The amazing thing about creating your own costume,” she explains, “is that you can be sure no one else has the same.” Some of her favorites? “One guy came as a mattress one year,” she says of a past party. “It was annoying but it was an awesome costume.”
But beware: creativity is key for getting into a Klum-hosted Halloween bash. “I always put on my invitation, ‘Costume required,’ because if you’re not dressing up, you’re not getting in,” she warns.
One year, she recalls, Prince Andrew showed up — but she thought it was someone dressed as the royal. “I said to him, ‘Who are you coming as, Prince Andrew?’” recalls Klum. “He wasn’t dressed up at all and I was like, ‘How did they let you in?’” At first he looked a bit perplexed until she realized he was the real thing. Then, she says, “I had bright red lips so I smooched his face and he had kisses all over.”
See she didn’t turn a non-costumed Prince Andrew away! I wonder if a regular non-celebrity with an incredibly awesome disguise could ever get into Heidi and Seal’s bash. I bet they could.
Here are some bonus pics of Heidi and Seal outside lunch on 10-22 and at the pumpkin patch on 10-15. Seal looks good!
Gorgeous supermodel and mother of four Heidi Klum stars in a sexy new music video with her husband, singer Seal. The song, “Secret,” is the first single off Seal’s latest album, Commitment, which came out Tuesday. It’s a haunting lovely song with a video that’s sure to get plenty of attention.
I was prepared to roll my eyes at this video but it’s frankly very well done. It seems to capture intimate moments between a husband and wife who still are very much in love. I love how tender and gentle it feels, like a couple who is content to be with each other and isn’t in any kind of hurry. There’s nakedness and kissing, but more than anything I find this video kind of heartwarming. It’s sexy but in a calm, adult way, if that make sense. It portrays a relationship with a high level of comfort and safety. The video really goes well with the song.
US Magazine premiered this video and has quotes from Heidi and Seal on what it means to them. Seal said “The song, the movie, it’s the story of our love.” Heidi said “It’s the story of two people in love. My husband is what I always wanted and never thought I would have.” I like them both a lot and think they’re a very solid couple.
