How Heidi Klum traumatizes daughter Leni by posing together in their pants
‘Like mother, like daughter’, as the saying goes – and Heidi Klum takes that quite literally, especially when it comes to striking poses together in lingerie.
As one of the most iconic supermodels in the world, it’s no surprise that her daughter, Leni, is following in her footsteps and making a natural entrance into the world of fashion and modeling.
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But fans certainly have a thing or two to say about how her mother lends her a helping hand.
This week the German model, 51, and daughter, 20, posed completely naked next together in lace lingerie for underwear brand Intimissimi.
And this isn’t the first time the duo has posed together next to nothing.
This first started in 2022, when Heidi was 49, and Leni, the daughter of billionaire Formula 1 boss Flavio Briatore, was a teenager.
Previously, some fans rushed to comment on the mother and daughter posing together in lingerie, with one writing: “What normal mother would pose in lingerie with her daughter?”
While another posted: “Cringe and weird. Would never do this with mom.”
But Heidi continues to shake off the trolls, even including her mother Erna, 80, in the latest Intimissimi advert.
And while Heidi may have intended to celebrate trust and connection with her daughter, doing so in an intimate setting like this “brings up concerns around boundaries, self-image and privacy.”
Parenting expert and psychologist Emma Kenny says: “Firstly, teenagers are at a stage where they are learning to deal with self-esteem, identity and personal boundaries.
“Parents are often a young person’s first model for self-esteem and healthy relationships.
“If a mother and daughter share revealing photos publicly, that’s possible fade these crucial boundaries, sending mixed signals about the importance of appearance in seeking validation.”
Emma believes this kind of public exposure can make her daughter feel “vulnerable and scrutinized.”
She continues: “While Heidi may see sharing intimate photos with her young daughter as something to celebrate.
“These types of actions could be confusing and potentially traumatizing as her daughter grows older, especially given her current stage of emotional and psychological development.
It’s hard enough for teenagers to find their place in the world
Emma Kenny
“Adolescents are still forming their identities, and this can cause them to feel uncomfortable or anxious about their appearance.
“In the futureshe may be struggling with boundaries or feeling a lingering sense of violation because she may not have fully understood or agreed to the implications of sharing these images.
“This may impact her self-esteem, making her more prone to seeking external validation or feeling pressure to conform to appearance-oriented standards, which can have lasting effects on her mental well-being.”
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These types of images can also normalize a level of exposure that a young person may not understand.
“The message, although unintentional, can be that physical appearance and public approval are intertwined, which can be confusing and potentially damaging for a teenager who still has a sense of self-worth,” says Emma.
“Sharing these types of images can erode the concept of privacy, teaching a young girl that her body is something to be displayed rather than respected.
“It’s hard enough for teenagers to find their place in the world because they already have to deal with peer pressure and social media around appearance.
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“So when their parents’ actions elevate public prominence over their private self-confidence, it can make it difficult for young people to feel safe and valued for more than just their appearance.”
But it seems Leni is destined to follow in her mother’s fabulous footsteps, with modeling seeming to be a natural fit for her.
Reflecting on her journey, Leni shared with People: “I always went along to work with my mom and thought, ‘This seems so great.
“She looks so happy while she’s working.” I would even get to work on the makeup that her artist brought.”
It was such a beautiful day. I wasn’t nervous at all, I was just full of excitement
Leni Klum
Leni’s dreams came true when she appeared on the cover of Vogue Germany with her superstar mother at the age of 16.
“It’s absolutely crazy that my first job was a cover of Vogue, and having my mother by my side made it an absolute joy.
“It was such a beautiful day. I wasn’t nervous at all, I was just full of excitement,” says Leni.
And despite the trolls, Leni, who is estimated to have a net worth of around £3 million, has built up a huge fan base in her own right.
On Instagram she is followed by 1.9 million people, who often post about her fantastic life and her modeling work.
What message do these photos convey?
By means of Judi JamesBody language expert
The reaction to these types of postures is probably caused by some of the symbolism rather than the reality of the body postures themselves. It’s not the kind of family pose that many people would send on their Christmas cards.
Red lipstick is often seen as a more sexual signal, and when combined with the bright red underwear, any idea of a ‘cute’ mother-and-daughter pose tends to diminish dramatically.
Red underwear and the way the red gifts are strategically held probably conjure up more daring, flirty thoughts in many people’s minds as the traditional ‘sexy’ Christmas gift.
It doesn’t seem to be a problem for Heidi and Leni, but as a perception problem for the fans and detractors, it’s the “double gift” story that could have been offensive.
This is an unusual trait that other mothers may find a little strange, but Heidi has always had a very happy, outgoing profile throughout her own career as a model with a happy lack of personality or behavioral inhibitions.
Unlike other ‘supermodels’, she always seems comfortable mixing catwalk work with more revealing shoots. She clearly sees herself as having a confident, ‘healthy’ attitude towards things like underwear shoots, which she may not feel are that important.
Her body language always shows that she finds these types of shoots very natural, rather than daring, flirty or overly sexual. Her own career started when she was Leni’s age, so it wouldn’t be shocking for her to pose together or work on the same ad campaigns.
Heidi has built a huge fortune through her modeling career, so perhaps it feels like a business she clearly enjoys and wants her daughter to enjoy just as much.
Many parents may be hesitant when it comes to taking a young daughter into this career, but Heidi is clearly an ideal role model when it comes to staying on top of the game and in control of managing the work. So she might feel that launching her Such a daughter will give her the same sense of confidence and even security.
Their poses here are marketing shoots for the underwear companies, and the projected message might be to sell across generations rather than a mother-daughter competition. No subtle or unsubtle sexual signals are projected; the poses would work clothed or unclothed.
If their relationship is close and they share wardrobes and pampering/styling more like friends, this probably feels like a natural expression of the closeness of their relationship and the professional pride they have in each other.
Thoughts about doing an underwear shoot with your mom probably relate to normal everyday parent/child behavior and habits. If your mother comes closest to your underwear when she does the laundry, this may seem like a step too far.
