Heidi Klum Talks Separation In Elle April 2012

In what I’m going to guess is a double-issue for the American edition, with Jessica Simpson taking two covers the same month and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen on twin covers for Elle UK, Heidi Klum covers Elle April 2012. Klum addresses her separation for what I think is the first time, since we’re not counting the interview with InStyle UK. There are a bunch of interview quotes below along with Klum’s photo shoot, but of the split she says: ‘I feel like I’m in the eye of the tornado.’ Admitting that she played happy families to hide marriage trouble, she continued: ‘To the outside world, you don’t really share all the things that happen. You kind of share just the most amazing sides.’

On the public scrutiny about the split: ‘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.’
On not offering her side of the story sooner: ‘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.”
On Seal using the split to sell his album: ‘He’s a grown man. I can’t tell him what to do and what not to do. It’s hard… 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. But I don’t think it’s necessary, especially for our children, to have the lows being printed in magazines and talked about. ‘
On protecting her kids from the scandal: ‘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.’
On when she feels most beautiful: ‘To be honest, it’s with my children. In my job, people tell you that all the time: ‘This shoot was great. You look amazing.’ But you never know what they say when you turn away. But the kids don’t edit anything. When they kiss you and tell you they love you and say, ‘Mama, you’re the best’ that’s really the only thing you care about.’
On her early style: ‘It was horrible. I wore too much makeup. I’d put on foundation, way too much blush. I had the worst clothes. I didn’t have heels. Where I come from, where would I need to wear heels?’