Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum: Friendship and Careers

Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum are two of the best-known supermodels to turn fashion fame into television careers. They met through the modeling world in the late 1990s and have stayed friendly for more than two decades. Both walked for Victoria’s Secret, both posed for Sports Illustrated, and both built reality TV careers around fashion. 

Their paths crossed again in 2017 on America’s Got Talent, where Tyra hosted and Heidi judged. This guide explains how their careers connect, how they differ, and where each stands in 2026.

Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum: Quick Bio Comparison

Detail	Tyra Banks	Heidi Klum
Full name	Tyra Lynne Banks	Heidi Klum Kaulitz
Born	December 4, 1973	June 1, 1973
Age in 2026	52	53
Birthplace	Inglewood, California	Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
Nationality	American	German and American
Known for	Supermodel, America’s Next Top Model, SMiZE & Dream	Supermodel, Germany’s Next Topmodel, Project Runway
Victoria’s Secret	Angel from 1997 to 2005	Angel for 13 years
Main TV shows	America’s Next Top Model, The Tyra Banks Show, Dancing with the Stars	Germany’s Next Topmodel, Project Runway, America’s Got Talent
Spouse or partner	Not publicly confirmed	Tom Kaulitz (married 2019)
Children	One son, York	Four children: Leni, Henry, Johan, and Lou
Net worth	About $90 million	About $160 million

How Are Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum Connected?

Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum are connected through modeling, friendship, and television. They were both Victoria’s Secret Angels, they worked together on America’s Got Talent, and they both run Top Model franchises.

They are not related, and they are not business partners. Their link is a shared industry and a long professional friendship.

Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum Friendship

Tyra and Heidi have known each other since their runway days. They are often described as friends rather than rivals, and their public moments together support that view.

They are the same age, born about six months apart in 1973. That puts them at similar career stages, which helped them relate to each other as the modeling world changed.

Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum Early Modeling Years

Tyra started modeling at 15 and moved to Paris as a teenager. She returned to the United States in the mid-1990s and quickly became a leading commercial model.

Heidi came up a different way. She won a German modeling competition at 18, then built a career in Europe and the United States. By the late 1990s both women were working at the top of the industry.

Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum Public Support and Reunions

Their friendship has shown up in public more than once. When Tyra joined America’s Got Talent in 2017, both women posted photos and messages celebrating the reunion.

Heidi even shared a throwback from their modeling years. The posts were warm and playful, which is why the story was told as a reunion of old friends rather than a new partnership.

Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum Victoria’s Secret History

Victoria’s Secret is the clearest shared chapter in their careers. Both women appeared in the brand’s campaigns and fashion shows when the Angels were at the height of their fame.

The brand gave each of them a global audience. That audience later helped them launch television and business careers.

Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum Shared Runway Years

Tyra was an Angel from 1997 to 2005. Heidi stayed with the brand for 13 years and became one of its most recognized faces.

Their years overlapped through the late 1990s and early 2000s. During that time they shared runways, photo sets, and backstage space with the other top models of the era.

Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum Modeling Milestones

Both women have appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Tyra’s 1997 cover made her the first Black woman on that cover, and it remains one of her best-known firsts.

Heidi built a long list of magazine covers and ad campaigns across Europe and North America. Both models also turned their looks into brands. That is a big reason they kept working after the runway.

Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum on America Got Talent

America’s Got Talent is the only major show where both women worked at the same time. It is also where their reunion happened. The roles were different. One hosted, and the other judged.

Tyra Banks Hosting Role

Tyra became host of America’s Got Talent in 2017 after Nick Cannon left the show. She hosted seasons 12 and 13, which aired in 2017 and 2018. She stepped away in late 2018 to focus on producing. Terry Crews took over the hosting job in 2019.

Heidi Klum Judging Role

Heidi first joined the judges’ table in 2013. She served for several years, took a break in 2019, then came back in 2020 and stayed through 2024.

She was not on the panel for season 20 in 2025, and she has not returned since. Her exit came soon after Project Runway announced her return as host.

Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum Television Careers

The two women built their TV careers in similar ways. Each used a fashion competition format to become a household name outside modeling. They also used those shows to move into producing, which gave them more control over their work.

Tyra Banks and America Next Top Model

Tyra created America’s Next Top Model in 2003 and served as host, judge, and executive producer. The show ran for 24 cycles and became one of the most recognizable reality series of its time.

She also hosted The Tyra Banks Show from 2005 to 2010 and won two Daytime Emmy Awards. Later she hosted Dancing with the Stars from 2020 to 2023.

Heidi Klum Fashion Shows

Heidi hosted Project Runway from 2004 to 2017 and won an Emmy Award for hosting in 2013. She also hosts and executive produces Germany’s Next Topmodel, which began in 2006 and is still running.

In 2020 she launched Making the Cut with Tim Gunn, a fashion series that ran through 2022. In 2025 she returned to Project Runway, which continues in 2026.

How Germany Next Topmodel Connects to America’s Next Top Model

Germany’s Next Topmodel is the German version of the format Tyra created. It follows the same basic idea of a competition that turns hopeful models into working ones.

So Heidi runs her own version of a show Tyra built. That gives their careers an unusual link beyond Victoria’s Secret.

Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum Career Comparison

The two have followed similar paths with different results. Both are models turned TV hosts and entrepreneurs. Tyra leans toward brand building and storytelling. Heidi leans toward television, fashion lines, and family projects.

Area	Tyra Banks	Heidi Klum
Signature show	America’s Next Top Model	Project Runway and Germany’s Next Topmodel
Talk or variety TV	The Tyra Banks Show, Dancing with the Stars	America’s Got Talent (judge)
Producer role	Created her own shows	Executive producer on her fashion shows
Business focus	Beauty, books, SMiZE & Dream	Fashion lines, jewelry, licensing
Education	Executive program at Harvard Business School	Not publicly listed

Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum Business Ventures

Tyra launched TYRA Beauty in 2014 and wrote the novel Modelland in 2011. Her biggest current company is SMiZE & Dream, an ice cream brand with a flagship shop in Sydney.

Heidi has launched swimwear, lingerie, jewelry, and clothing lines. She has also worked on long-term retail partnerships and ad campaigns with major brands.

Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum Major Achievements

Tyra’s biggest honors include two Daytime Emmy Awards and her cover firsts at GQ and Sports Illustrated. She is also credited with changing who gets seen in fashion.

Heidi won a Primetime Emmy for hosting and has led a major German TV franchise for two decades. Both appear regularly on lists of the most influential people in entertainment.

Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum Net Worth

Tyra Banks has an estimated net worth of about $90 million. Heidi Klum is estimated at about $160 million.

Heidi’s higher number reflects her long run on several TV shows, her fashion lines, and her endorsement deals. Tyra’s wealth comes from modeling, TV, production, and her business ventures. Net worth numbers are estimates, so treat them as a rough guide.

Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum’s Connection to Seal

The singer Seal appears in articles about both women. Tyra dated him before he married Heidi. Heidi and Seal married in 2005 and divorced in 2014.

This part of their history is old and has no bearing on their friendship today. Heidi has been married to guitarist Tom Kaulitz since 2019, and Tyra has said little about her private life in recent years.

Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum: Friendship or Rivalry?

There is no evidence of a feud between Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum. Articles that frame them as rivals usually compare their looks or careers, which is entertainment, not conflict.

What the record shows is mutual respect and friendly public moments. They compete in the same industry, but they have mostly cheered each other on.

Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum in 2026

Tyra lives in Sydney, Australia, and runs SMiZE & Dream. In February 2026, Netflix released a docuseries about America’s Next Top Model. In June 2026, Tyra filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix and the filmmakers, claiming her interview was edited to create a false picture. The case is a legal dispute that has not been settled.

Heidi is back on Project Runway, which is in its 22nd season, and she continues to host Germany’s Next Topmodel, now in its 21st season. She is no longer a judge on America’s Got Talent.

There is no public record of the two working together on a new project in 2026. Their friendship status today is not publicly detailed beyond their past reunion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum friends?

Yes, they have been friendly for more than 20 years and celebrated their 2017 reunion publicly.

Did Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum work together on America’s Got Talent?

Yes, Tyra hosted in 2017 and 2018 while Heidi sat on the judges’ panel.

Were Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum both Victoria’s Secret Angels?

Yes, both walked for Victoria’s Secret during the late 1990s and 2000s.

Who is older, Tyra Banks or Heidi Klum?

Heidi is older by about six months, born June 1, 1973, while Tyra was born December 4, 1973.

How is Germany’s Next Topmodel connected to America’s Next Top Model?

Germany’s Next Topmodel is the German version of the format Tyra Banks created, hosted by Heidi Klum.

Conclusion

Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum share more than a decade of modeling history, a connection through Victoria’s Secret, and a pair of long TV careers built on fashion competition shows. Their friendship has been friendly and public, especially during their 2017 reunion on America’s Got Talent, when Tyra hosted and Heidi judged. 

In 2026 their paths look different, with Tyra focused on her ice cream brand and a legal dispute with Netflix, and Heidi back on Project Runway while hosting Germany’s Next Topmodel. The fair way to describe them is as two accomplished peers who built parallel careers and kept a warm bond along the way.