German supermodel and America’s Got Talent judge Heidi Klum has quietly split from her father’s control after working together for almost four decades, friends tell DailyMail.
Company records suggest Heidi, 46, is no longer managed by her dad Günther, who has helped shape her multi-million dollar career for decades.
The business separation follows rumors of a rift between the father and daughter, after Günther failed to show up to the model’s wedding in Capri in August, with insiders claiming there are ‘issues’ between Heidi’s father and her new husband, 30-year-old Tokio Hotel guitarist Tom Kaulitz.
Günther, a 74-year-old former cosmetics company executive, has steered the supermodel’s career for decades from her first break in 1992 when she beat 25,000 contestants to win a competition for a $300,000 contract with a New York agency, to her peak as one of the highest paid catwalk queens of all time.
But German company records show the AGT Champions judge has now dissolved her German company Heidi Klum GMBh, which was originally overseen by Günther and based near the family home in Bergisch Gladbach.
Company records suggest Heidi Klum, 46, is no longer managed by her father Günther Klum, DailyMail.com can reveal
Sources tell DailyMail.com that there are ‘issues’ between Heidi’s father and her new husband, 30-year-old Tokio Hotel guitarist Tom Kaulitz
Günther did not attend Heidi’s wedding in Capri in August with excuses ranging from a friend’s funeral to medical problems
A month before her wedding, the supermodel set up a new firm in Berlin, HK Germany GMBh, with her father nowhere to be found on public company documents.
A friend told DailyMail.com that in July 2019 Heidi met with a notary in Frankfurt and signed documents for her new Berlin-based company, where she is the President and owns all marketing rights.
She has also switched lawyers, using Alexander Stolz of Berlin firm Lacore rather than her father’s counsel.
Heidi is the CEO of her US-based firm, Heidi Klum Company LLC, with her close friend Jennifer Love acting as vice president – not Günther.
Love is working as executive producer on Heidi’s new Project Runway-style Amazon series Making The Cut with Tim Gunn.
The rumors of a family split follow reports that Günther failed to show up at her Capri wedding on a yacht once owned by Jackie O’s family, with excuses ranging from a friend’s funeral to medical problems.
Günther’s wife Erna told wedding guests that a knee injury had prevented him from traveling – only for the 74-year-old to be spotted the day after the wedding walking around a garden center in Heidi’s hometown, Bergisch Gladbach, according to German media reports.
At the time Günther himself told a reporter for German TV channel RTL outside his home that he was preparing for a funeral, but at a red carpet event in Germany last month told the channel that he had been bedridden for the wedding.
Günther’s wife told Heidi and Tom’s wedding guests that a knee injury had prevented him from traveling, but the 74-year-old was spotted the next day walking around in Germany
Günther has helped shape Heidi’s multi-million dollar modeling career for decades. Heidi is pictured with her parents during the fitting for the 2002 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show
The patriarch has downplayed talk of a rift with his daughter, telling German magazine Gala in November that ‘there is no disagreement’ between him and Hedi.
‘You know, so much s**t is written,’ the 74-year-old said, calling his daughter’s wedding ‘a pure family celebration.’
But a friend of the fashion mogul says her father may be papering over tensions with Heidi’s new husband.
A source tells DailyMail.com that Günther was ‘a real rock and shoulder to cry on behind the scenes’ when his daughter split from singer Seal
‘Aside from a business rift there may be issues with Tom,’ said the friend. ‘Heidi is besotted with him and has centered her world around making her marriage and kids her focal point.
‘Something dramatic has happened between [Heidi and Günther], because there is no way he would ever miss his daughter’s wedding. It is unthinkable given their long relationship and business success together that he would not be beside her on the yacht in Capri for the wedding to Tom. Knowing Günther it would be expected that usually he would be front and center of the festivities.’
The source told DailyMail.com that after Heidi’s divorce from British musician Seal, Günther was ‘a real rock and shoulder to cry on behind the scenes’, and that the father was pleased at first for his daughter when she found her new love.
‘In the early stages Günther did not appear to be unhappy with Tom or worry how happy Heidi said she was after moving on from Seal.
‘But he has gone from being the number one man in her life to being replaced by Tom. And let’s make no mistake about this – Heidi continually tells everyone that she has never been happier in marriage and life than with Tom. It is no secret that she admitted that if nature took its course she would welcome having another child with him.
‘But while she speaks glowingly about Tom, her words about her father have dried up.’
The whole Klum family, including Günther and newlywed Kaulitz, made a show of unity turning up to the casting for Germany’s Next Top Model in Munich in September.
The former perfume executive remains in the modeling industry, and is working on the new season of Germany’s Next Top Model, fronted by Heidi.
But the source claimed that last year Heidi left her dad out of two TV deals – her international Amazon series Making The Cut and new TV project Queen Of Drag.
The friend said Heidi snubbed her father for the drag show to hire her husband’s brother Bill Kaulitz as a judge.
A business associate of the former supermodel said although she was striking out on her own, her father was not clamoring for a place on the progressive show.
‘It is terrifically sad,’ Heidi’s friend said of the strained relationship. ‘For years he has been a vital part of her life, not just in business, but personally’
‘The Amazon deal was all Heidi and her US team. It was a significant statement as Günther has guided her through these deals in the past,’ the source said.
‘Günther would never have appeared or worked on a show like Queen Of Drag. He is a mild mannered conservative businessman. However it was a big step as it appeared to be the first major German TV show she has done without him.’
After setting up a company with Heidi in 2005, Günther guided his daughter’s career helping her negotiate lucrative advertising deals with brands including Schwarzkopft and Astor for tens of millions of dollars.
‘It is terrifically sad,’ Heidi’s friend told DailyMail.com. ‘For years he has been a vital part of her life, not just in business, but personally. He would come over for the summers and help look after his grandchildren while Heidi would pursue her projects. It was such a close knit family, fueled with love and mutual admiration.
‘It is extraordinary how this has played out and Heidi does not talk about him. Heidi has made a point to not even address what is happening and why there is a break-up of sorts. It is weird. It is too weird.’
A spokesman for Heidi declined to comment.