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Heidi Klum and Seal may have been an unexpected couple but they were one of Hollywood’s favorites until they separated. The couple met in 2003, were engaged the next year, and were married by 2005. Unfortunately, after having 3 biological children together Klum filed for divorce in 2012 and it was finalized by 2014. The couples drama seemed to be a thing of the past and it has been years since they made headlines together-until this week.
Klum and Seal, real name Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel, have been co-parenting with joint legal custody but she submitted court documents requesting an emergency hearing so she could travel with their 4 children to Germany. The couple only has 1 biological child together but in 2009 Seal legally adopted her first child she had with Flavio Briatore. Hollywood Life obtained the legal court documents that revealed the bitter battle. Klum petitioned the court when Seal had “not yet approved of this trip.” “I tried to work this out with Henry directly to no avail,” she wrote at the time. Klum is a judge on America’s Got Talent (AGT) which is resuming production of season 16 in Germany. The series usually films in Hollywood but chose to relocate to avoid social distancing restrictions. The supermodel has said she wants to take their children to her native country so they can see their family and be near her when she films AGT.
In the documents, Klum wrote she was “well aware of all of the necessary precautions associated with the COVID-19 virus, and would never put [their] children at risk.” Klum continued, “I have taken all the precautions for Germany the same way I do in the United States.” Klum also said there would opportunities for Seal to see their children, “There will be a three-week break for the Christmas holidays,” suggesting they could “agree that Henry spends the Christmas break with them again this year so that the children can be with their father during this time, if Henry would like this.” Along with declarations from their children suggesting that they would like to go to Germany with her, Klum hit Seal where it hurts by all-edging the number of times he sees their kids are “sporadic at best.”
Seal shot back at Klum’s petition by saying she has a “hidden agenda” that could permanently damage the “close bond” he has with his children. In the legal documents Seal explained in his declaration, “I believe Heidi has a hidden agenda to move the children to Germany.” Seal continued, “Notwithstanding Heidi’s request if granted, could in effect move the children away from me and their home here in Los Angeles to Germany for what could be an indefinite period of time given the uncertainty of the impact of COVID-19 on this country’s and Germany’s travel restrictions which could change at any time and prevent the children from leaving Germany or entering the United States.” Seal went on, “Heidi is a celebrity and a German national and I am concerned that if she is allowed to take the children to Germany, she may unilaterally decide not to return them to the United States.”
Seal addressed Klum’s claims that he sees them sporadically and wrote “I have always shared a close bond with our children. I try to spend as much time as possible with our children when I am not working (including touring prior to the pandemic). Although I do not have a regular custodial schedule with the children, I have made it a point to be as involved in the children’s lives as I can.”
Hopefully Klum and Seal are able to come to an agreement but the documents point to a bitter battle lying ahead.
