Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel is the son of Heidi Klum, a supermodel, actress, businesswoman, author, and her ex-husband, Seal, who is a multi-Grammy-winning singer and songwriter.
The young man who was born in 2006 is Seal’s second biological child and his mother’s third. Johan spent his growing up years alongside three siblings – an older half-sister, an older direct brother, and a younger direct sister.
The youngster is still at the high school level and it may be too early to predict a career path for him. However, reports have it that he is already attending music school and from what is perceivable, it may not be too long before we know which direction the pendulum is going to swing.
Summary of Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel’s Biography
- Full Name: Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel
- Gender: Male
- Date of Birth: 22nd of November, 2006
- Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel’s Age: 17 years old
- Ethnicity: German, Nigerian, and Brazilian ancestry
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
- Marital Status: Single
- Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel’s Parents: Heidi Klum and Seal Henry Olusegun Adeola Samuel
- Siblings: Heen, Henry, and Lou Samuel
- Famous For: Being the son of Heidi Kum and Seal
What Is Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel’s Age Now?
Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel is 17 years old and his date of birth is captured as the 22nd of November, 2006. The youngster was born in Los Angeles, California, in the United States of America. Being born in the U.S. makes him an American citizen but the young man comes with mixed ethnicity of German, Nigerian, and Brazilian.
He owes his looks to his multiracial background, but his skin color is an indication that part of his ancestry lies in the black continent of Africa. Johan’s dad Seal was born to an African-Brazilian father named Francis Samuel and a mum named Adebisi Ogundeji from Nigeria. The youngster’s mum, Heidi Klum, comes from Germany.
The Meaning of Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel’s Long Name
The young man’s full name, Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel, is more than a mouthful. But it is interesting to know that it harbors very beautiful meanings. Several media sources like People have dug into the meanings behind Johan’s long name. According to People;
- Johan happens to be a Nordic-German version of Johannes, meaning “The Lord is gracious” in the Hebrew parlance.
- Riley is Irish and the name means “small stream or creek,”
- Fyodor is a Russian terminology for “God’s gift.”
- Taiwo is from the Yoruba tribe of Nigeria and it means “to smell/taste the world”
- His last name Samuel comes from Seal whose full name is Henry Olusegun Adeola Samuel.
How Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel’s Parents Met
Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel’s mother was already pregnant with her first child when her path crossed with Seal for the first time. She was at an award dinner in London early in 2004 when they met. It was really the hand of fate as the duo was thrown together again a few weeks later. This time, they ran into each other at an exclusive gymnasium in New York.
Five weeks down the line in Los Angeles, the celebrity duo was having their first date when Klum told Seal about her pregnancy. From that moment, the musician who passed through a turbulent childhood with an absentee mother and an abusive father resolved to become a good father to the unborn child. The two became an item and after Klum was delivered of her baby, Seal popped the big question to his lady love while in British Columbia, 14,000 ft. up on a glacier.
This incident occurred in December 2004 and within five months, they tied the knot on the 10th of May 2005. The celebrity couple divorced on the 14th of October, 2014, prior to that, they were already leading separate lives since 2012.
Meet Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel’s Mother, Heidi Klum
Born on the 1st of June, 1973, Heidi Klum hails from Bergisch Gladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia in West Germany. Johan’s mother is a woman of many hats, she is a supermodel, TV personality, entrepreneur, singer, fashion designer, author, television producer, and actress.
The actress and runway queen has appeared in several productions, authored notable publications, hosted popular TV programs, and has walked and worked for several top-notch fashion and cosmetic brands. In fact, she is credited as the first German model to ever become a Victoria’s Secret Angel. The 1998 issue of Sports Illustrated featured her on their cover page in a swimsuit.
Klum has several prestigious awards to show her career achievements and is currently married to Tom Kaulitz.
Who Is Seal Henry Olusegun Adeola Samuel, Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel’s Father?
Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel’s father on the other hand was born on the 19th of February 1963 in England, precisely in Paddington, London. As earlier mentioned, the British national is of mixed ethnicity of African and Brazilian ancestries. Seal Henry Olusegun Adeola Samuel, as his full name says, spent the earliest part of his formative years in Westminster, London with a foster family through which he gained four foster siblings. He only started staying with his biological mum at age four.
After studying architecture in college and graduating in 1985, Seal came out as a professional musician two years later in 1987. The singer cum songwriter started dropping singles and albums and in no time scored his big break with the release of his hit track “Kiss from a Rose” in 1994.
Seal’s dedication and hard work have earned him four Grammy awards and still counting.
Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel Enjoyed His Childhood with His Three Siblings
Far from being the only child of his parents, Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel spent his childhood alongside three siblings – one step-sibling and two direct siblings. They include
- Helene Boshoven Samuel (sister)
- Lou Sulola Samuel (sister)
- Henry Günther Ademola Dashtu Samuel (brother)
Helen Boshoven Samuel
The first time Klum crossed paths with Seal, she was already pregnant with Helen Boshoven. Helen who was born in New York City, on the 4th of May 2004 is a couple of years older than Johan and is the product of Klum’s former relationship with businessman Flavio Briatore.
After Helen’s birth, her biological father gave Seal permission to adopt her; this is why she bears the same surname as Johan and his direct siblings. She formerly became Seal’s daughter in September 2009.
Henry Günther Ademola Dashtu Samuel
Barley one year after Helen’s birth, the multi-talented artist Heidi Klum welcomed her second child and Seal’s first biological child. Henry Günther Ademola Dashtu Samuel announced his entrance on the 12th of September 2005. Johan’s big brother is older than him by one year.
Lou Sulola Samuel
Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel has just one younger sibling, Lou Sulola Samuel, who joined the family on the 9th of October 2009, making her three years younger than Johan. She is his direct sibling born to Seal and Heidi.
Who Got Custody of Johan and His Siblings After Divorce?
Following the end of Seal and Heidi’s nine-year-long marriage on the 14th of October 2014, all the Samuel children, including the adopted one, went to live with Heidi Klum. Johan was just eight years old then and needless to say, he was affected by his parent’s split. Seal and Klum’s divorce seems to be an amicable one as they quickly arrived at a workable way of co-parenting.
Even though Johan and his siblings live with Heidi Klum, Seal plays a major role in their upbringing. The “Kiss by the Rose” crooner has proved himself to be a dedicated and responsible father who doesn’t joke with the wellbeing of his children. He is happy to share parenting duties with Klum and has been spotted with the children in public while out on dates.
The Former Couple Clashed During the COVID-19 Pandemic
As earlier mentioned, Seal is a hands-on dad that always has the wellbeing of his kids at heart. A good instance of this was witnessed during the COVID 19 pandemic when the two exes clashed over a serious issue concerning the children in August 2020.
It happened that the supermodel wanted to travel to her home country Germany with the children for the filming of a new season of the reality television show, Germany’s Next Top Model. Seal went against Klum’s wish by objecting to her traveling plans with the children, leading the mother of four to file a lawsuit.
It was later revealed that Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel’s father was only concerned about his children’s safety which may be at risk if allowed to travel at that critical period. The issues were resolved after Klum assured Seal that she was going to be extra careful. In her own declaration, Klum said she was aware of all the COVID-19 associated precautions and has taken all the appropriate safety measures for Germany in the same way she has been doing in the US. Going on, the supermodel cum actress said she would never expose their kids to risk.
Seal Entertained Other Fears Apart from The Pandemic
Words soon got out that Seal’s fear was not only about the pandemic. The music superstar also feared that Heidi may decide to make the children’s stay in Germany permanent. The Blast obtained a court document where Seal expressed his fears about the pandemic getting to an extent that Germany may be forced to close its borders. This he said may stop Heidi and their children from getting back to America.
Ultimately, the duo reached an agreement allowing Johan and his siblings to follow Klum to Germany. However, some grand rules were laid down for the journey.
- While his children were away, Seal had the permission to visit them at any time
- Heidi was not to make their stay in Germany permanent
- She must not keep them there even if Germany closes its borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, things later normalized and seal gets to spend quality time with his children.
In 2020, Klum told Red magazine that co-parenting isn’t a rosy-rosy experience. It may be difficult at times and you will have to put heads together as a family to iron things out. There are also times when everything will just be like hopping on clouds, the supermodel said.
Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel is About to Complete High School
In his mid-teens, Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel is said to be a high school student. The name of his high school has never been mentioned, probably due to security reasons but he is at one of the local high schools in Los Angeles. From a very young age, Johan has been interested in martial arts and is currently preoccupied with Tae Kwon Do. He is listed among the Tae Kwon Do practitioners in his high school.
Rumors have already started circulation about Johan’s move to college since the youngster is set to matriculate in 2024. Though they are yet to mention the name of his preferred college, speculations are that he might choose any of the prestigious universities in the United States.
Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel’s Career Path
Johan is just like his dad. His artistic and intellectual tendencies are comparable to that of the multi-award-winning musician. The teenager loves painting and books and you can hardly catch him without a book under his arms. The creative youth is currently going to a music school where he learns skills like singing and handling instruments such as the piano and the guitar. He obviously takes after his dad in several ways.
Johan’s career path may swing either way – while many are predicting that he may follow the footsteps of his mother and end up as a TV personality, model, actor, or businessman, many think he will become a singer/songwriter like Seal.
However, neither Heidi nor Seal have said anything about the boy’s possible career path, thus, no one knows if he is inclined towards showbiz or not, but time will tell.
Hobbies and Other Interests
Reports said Johan is a child that loves to socialize with other kids at school. He loves traveling and has touched different parts of the United States with his parents and siblings. He has also touched down on two European countries and reports said his dream destination is London in the United Kingdom.
The second son of Heidi Klum and Seal is an animal lover and he keeps a pet dog. He fills his evenings by watching movies and never gets tired of seeing films like Avengers: Infinity War, Iron Man, and Avengers: Endgame. Johan’s favorite entertainers include the likes of Natalie Portman and Robert Downey Jr.
FAQ About Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel
How old is Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel now?
He is 17 years old.
Who is Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel’s Father?
His father is none other than award-winning singer Seal
How many siblings does Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel have?
The youngster has three siblings – Heen, Henry, and Lou Samuel.
Is Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel active on social media?
Johan does not have any verified page on Instagram.