When you really think about it, Heidi Klum is probably the most successful model of her generation, right? She was a successful model and then effortlessly transitioned to Project Runway host and all-around jack-of-all-trades celebrity. She works constantly, she’s a household name and she has that matter-of-fact no-nonsense German sensibility. While she annoys me sometimes, I have to give her credit for thriving. Well, to promote the 22nd season of Project Runway, Klum covers the new issue of Us Weekly and she gave the magazine a lengthy interview. In addition to Project Runway, she’s also in Germany’s Next Top Model, and she’s still getting hired for modeling gigs too. Some highlights:

She loves working & hustling: “I always say I’m 53 and just getting started. I love what I do and I always have.”

Her modeling career: “I didn’t get a lot of jobs because I had a sporty body — big boobs, wider hips — and I smiled a lot. Being positive wasn’t really on trend…[but] I found my niche. It’s important to be authentic and not push yourself into being something you’re not.”

She’s not a workaholic though: When she’s not working, the mom, who shares daughters Leni, 22, and Lou, 16, and sons Henry, 20, and Johan, 19, with ex-husband Seal, is doing the exact opposite: “Oh my God, I love doing nothing!” says Klum, who wed 36-year-old musician Tom Kaulitz in 2019. “I love being with my husband on a beach, eating and drinking and going topless and swimming through the water. I feel so free.”

Dealing with criticism over the years: “I had photo shoots back in the day where photographers would make me cry. They said I wasn’t doing a good job and people told me I was too fat. Big names like Karl Lagerfeld would say that I’m [a] nobody, and [things like], “Why is she always smiling so stupidly?” And when I was married to Seal, [people] would say, “How can he have this horrible skin?” He has lupus, and quite frankly, I think he looks beautiful. There’s always been a lot of noise around, but the world is big, and there’s a space for all of us. You can’t please everyone, and not everyone is going to like what you do, but you have to look in the mirror and be happy with who you are. I did find my niche, and look who’s still here.

Thoughts on Ozempic & GLPs: “I’m not interested at all. I’ve gained weight over the years. I’m no longer a size 24 jean. But I think with age, we look better when we’re not as skinny. My husband was the first one who pointed that out. He said, “You should eat more; you would look better if you had more meat on your bones.” I was like, “What?” This is not something you’re told in the industry, ever, because you’re always supposed to be skinnier than you are. When I look back at photos, I’m like, “He’s right!” Proportion-wise, I look better bigger.

On Botox & facelifts: “In general, people should do what they want. It’s the same with Ozempic. A lot of people have a hard time getting that jumpstart, and if you’ve always struggled with your weight and for 40 years you’ve been trapped and it’s been such a big focus of your life, then maybe this is a great thing to try. That has never been part of my life, so it’s hard for me to judge. If you look in the mirror and you’re not happy with something and you want to fix it, fix it.

Who’s more romantic? “I think I am, and, in general, women are more romantic. We always overthink everything, but I’ve learned to not always question everything that’s said or done because most of the time it doesn’t mean anything. I let things go, understanding that we’re overthinkers, and [men] aren’t. Obviously, they think about things, but we overthink relationships. Like, “Why did he say that? Why didn’t he do this?” It [likely] meant nothing.”

Her age-gap marriage: “I look at my husband and I’m like, “He is getting a little old for me.” So far, so good. He’s aging well.”

[From Us Weekly]

Oof, I forgot that Karl Lagerfeld hated her. A lot of the big designers hated her in the 1990s. Back then, she had a “catalog look,” as in – she was curvy, blonde and healthy-looking, yet she wasn’t really part of the “Glamazon” era. They thought she was downmarket, and then she modeled for Victoria’s Secret and Sports Illustrated and everything changed for her. Anyway, I like what she says about Ozempic and Botox, basically “you do you, but you probably don’t need it!” And she does look better with more meat on her bones. I think most women do (and most men as well).

Cover courtesy of Us Weekly, additional photos courtesy of Cover Images.