In a new interview with PEOPLE, the 18-year-old model also divulges that she wanted to follow in her mom's footsteps since she was 12 after she was stopped at a Brandy Melville store.
- Oct 29, 2022
AceShowbiz - Heidi Klum's daughter Leny Klum wants to be recognized for her hard work. When speaking to PEOPLE in a new interview, the teenage model angrily fired back at those who labeled her a "nepo baby."
"It's just a fact. My parents are famous," the 18-year-old first explained when asked about the nepotism baby stereotype. "I did get help starting off, and I know that people would dream to start off with what I had. I'm so grateful that I've been able to take what was gifted to me by my mom."
However, Leni made it clear that she is also working hard to reach the point where she is now. "But I am doing the work and putting in the time," she stressed. "Now I'm working on my own, traveling alone, going to school. My mom and I just have the same love for the same thing."
During the interview, Leni divulged that she wanted to follow in her mom's footsteps since she was 12 after she was stopped at a Brandy Melville store. "They asked me to model for their clothes. I was freaking out because Brandy Melville was my favorite at the time," she recalled.
"It was the only place I went shopping," the college freshman further recounted. "I said 'Mom, Mom, guess what? Brandy Melville wants me to model. Please, please.' And she was like, 'Absolutely not.' "
Leni made her modeling debut in December 2020 by gracing the cover of Vogue Germany's January/February 2021 issue with her mother Heidi. Expressing her excitement over her first-ever cover shoot, she wrote in the caption, "So excited for my first cover!! I had so much fun on set with @voguegermany couldn't dream of a better start!! Thank you for being by my side @heidiklum."
Heidi also shared the snap on her own Instagram page. In the accompanying message, she raved, "I'm so proud of you. And not because you chose this path. I know that no matter which way you go, it will be your own. You always know exactly what you want and what you don't want. You are not a mini-me. And I'm happy for you that you can now show who YOU are."
"I know that being my daughter is not always easy. You never had the opportunity to grow up 'normally.' But what is normal? Growing up with three different daddies probably won't either," she added. "But you have the talent to get the best out of everything. And I would say: none of it harmed you - on the contrary: you are a self-confident young woman who fights for her goals. And even more important: you are a really great person with your heart in the right place."
