As one of the most well-known models and TV hosts in the world, Heidi Klum is a titan of the entertainment industry. She also knows a thing or two about being a mom, thanks to her four awesome kids. The former Victoria’s Secret Angel has raised two daughters and two sons, including 14-year-old Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel, or just Johan Samuel, for short. Here’s the inside scoop on Heidi Klum’s son and the meaning behind his unique full name.
Johan Samuel Is One Of Four Children To Heidi Klum
Heidi Klum’s first child, Leni Klum, was born in May of 2004. While her biological father is Italian businessman Flavio Briatore, she was legally adopted and raised by stepdad Seal. Seal and Klum were together from 2004 until 2014 and had three biological children: Henry, Lou, and Johan Samuel.
Johan was born on November 22, 2006, just a year after brother Henry. At the time, Seal announced the birth on his blog (as reported by People), writing:
“Mama and baby are doing great. She is so good at having babies, I feel so blessed and fortunate to have a wife like her, they are both so beautiful. Leni and Henryboy were both so excited seeing him yesterday. It’s amazing how much he looks like Leni when she was born. I mean, he is completely different looking from Henryboy so as Lauren put it, he will surely look more like HK as he grows. He is so precious and really hasn’t been that noisy on his first night spent on earth. Wow! what an amazing experience to have been a part of.”
Three years later, Johan became a big brother when his sister Lou was born in 2009. It was then, Klum said, that she knew she was done having kids. “Four is a lot of children,” she told Good Housekeeping in 2011. “Now we’re complete; we look around the table and feel like there’s no one missing. Everyone who is supposed to be around the table is there.”
Seal Didn’t Want Johan And His Siblings To Travel With Heidi During COVID
Despite their split, Seal and Klum share custody of their kids and have worked hard to co-parent. Nevertheless, the 47-year-old supermodel and mom admits that it’s not always easy. “It’s not all rosy-rosy,” she told Red magazine in 2020. “It just isn’t. So sometimes it’s hard, but then you have to all come together as a family and sometimes everything is just like hopping on clouds. It’s just the way it is.”
The famous exes did butt heads last year as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. In August of 2020, Klum filed for an emergency court hearing when Seal would not let her take the kids with her to Germany, where she was about to film a new season of Germany’s Next Top Model. Seal said he was concerned about his children traveling during the pandemic. However, Klum assured her ex she would be extra careful.
“I am well aware of all of the necessary precautions associated with the COVID-19 virus, and would never put our children at risk — I have taken all the precautions for Germany the same way I do in the United States,” she wrote in her declaration.
But in addition to fearing that his kids might contract the virus, Seal was also concerned that their stay in Germany could become permanent. In court documents obtained by The Blast, he expressed that the pandemic could cause Germany to close its borders, which would prevent him from visiting. It could also disallow Heidi and the children from returning to the United States.
Ultimately, Klum and Seal reached an agreement, allowing Leni, Henry, Johan, and Lou to join their mom in Germany. But there were some ground rules. Seal was allowed to visit the kids at any point while they were away, and Klum was not to move the kids to Germany permanently or keep them there if borders closed due to the pandemic. Fortunately, the latter did not happen, and the family could spend some quality time together.
Johan Samuel’s Full Name Is Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel
Now for Johan’s unique name. While it’s definitely a mouthful, the meaning behind it is quite beautiful. According to People, Johan is a Nordic-German version of the name Johannes, which means “The Lord is gracious” in Hebrew. Riley is an Irish name that means “small stream or creek,” and Fyodor is Russian for “God’s gift.” Taiwo means “to smell/taste the world” in Yoruba, a language spoken most prominently in southwestern Nigeria. Finally, Seal’s proper full name is Henry Olusegun Adeola Samuel, which is why Henry, Johan, and Lou all share the Samuel surname.
We love that Johan’s full name has such a deep and diverse meaning!