Heidi Klum: The Undisputed Queen of Halloween

Heidi Klum has once again claimed her title as Halloween’s reigning monarch with another show-stopping costume reveal. The 52-year-old supermodel unveiled her highly anticipated 2025 Halloween transformation at her legendary annual party in New York City on October 31st, and it did not disappoint. This year, Klum embodied the terrifying mythological figure Medusa, complete with moving snake hair and a body-length serpent tail. The costume featured intricate, hand-painted details covering her entire body, with individually articulated snakes replacing her blonde locks—each one wriggling with lifelike movement. To complete the fearsome look, Klum carried a bow and arrow prop and wore prosthetics that transformed her face into a nightmarish version of the creature known for turning victims to stone with just a glance. Her husband, Tom Kaulitz, 36, complemented her costume perfectly by appearing as a Greek soldier who had fallen victim to Medusa’s petrifying gaze, dressed in head-to-toe gray to simulate stone.

The level of dedication and craftsmanship that went into creating Klum’s Medusa costume was nothing short of extraordinary. Speaking with E! News at her event, the America’s Got Talent judge revealed that the transformation process took an astounding 10 hours to complete. “Everything is hand-painted,” Klum explained, adding that approximately 15 talented artists had worked tirelessly to bring her vision to life. This meticulous attention to detail has become Klum’s Halloween trademark over the years. She shared that Medusa had been on her costume wish list for quite some time, noting, “I’ve seen over the years obviously many, many Medusas, and I thought, ‘You know, one day I’m going to try my own.'” Her vision was clear from the start: she wanted moving snakes, a terrifying face with sharp, ugly teeth, and the elongated body of a rattlesnake. The results were both horrifying and mesmerizing—exactly what Klum had envisioned.

In the days leading up to her Halloween party, Klum built anticipation by dropping subtle hints about her costume during interviews with various media outlets. While speaking with Good Morning America just days before the event, she teased that she was “ready already” and that her costume would be “very ugly” and “very scary.” In a conversation with Entertainment Tonight, she offered another clue by showing a close-up image of her costume’s teeth, describing them as “pretty scary” and “so sharp” that she had to be careful not to cut her tongue. With characteristic humor, she joked about whether she would still be able to kiss while wearing the prosthetics. When asked to rate the ugliness of her costume on a scale of one to ten, Klum didn’t hesitate: “It’s gonna be 11.” She also acknowledged the physical toll of wearing such elaborate prosthetics and body paint, admitting she would likely “break out in so many hives and pimples” afterward. Nevertheless, she insisted the discomfort was “worth it,” emphasizing her commitment to her “Halloween fans” around the world whom she “never want[s] to let down.”

Social media played a significant role in building excitement for Klum’s costume reveal. On the day of her party, she shared a tantalizing glimpse of her transformation process on Instagram, posting a close-up video of her face painted orange with green undertones, wearing a bald cap with her eyebrows completely covered. She simply captioned the post “#heidihalloween 👻🕷️💚,” prompting fans to speculate wildly about what she might be. Guesses ranged from the Grinch to Gremlins and Slimer from Ghostbusters. Celebrity friends joined in the excitement, with model Winnie Harlow commenting, “The queen of Halloween is coming 😍🔥🔥.” Klum also shared footage of her husband Kaulitz’s transformation process, showing him similarly donning a bald cap in preparation for his complementary costume. The couple’s coordinated approach has become another hallmark of Klum’s Halloween celebrations, demonstrating their shared enthusiasm for the holiday and further elevating the spectacle of their appearances.

The 2025 Medusa costume continues Klum’s remarkable legacy of Halloween transformations that consistently push the boundaries of costume design and special effects. Last year, she wowed audiences as a peacock, wearing a blue bodysuit with bird-like facial prosthetics, while dancers posed around her as her magnificent feathers. Other memorable costumes from her Halloween hall of fame include her spot-on portrayal of Princess Fiona from Shrek (complete with her husband as Shrek himself), an incredibly realistic giant worm that left her practically immobilized, and a remarkably authentic E.T. costume. What sets Klum apart from other celebrities who dress up for Halloween is not just her willingness to completely transform her appearance, but her commitment to becoming truly unrecognizable. Unlike many who opt for “sexy” or glamorous interpretations of characters, Klum frequently chooses costumes that are deliberately grotesque, uncomfortable, or bizarre, sacrificing vanity for the sake of creativity and spectacle.

Heidi Klum’s annual Halloween costumes have transcended mere celebrity dress-up to become cultural events in their own right. Each year, fans and media outlets eagerly anticipate what the German supermodel will unveil, and she consistently delivers something unexpected, elaborate, and conversation-worthy. Her Medusa costume for 2025 exemplifies why she’s earned her reputation as Halloween’s ultimate enthusiast. The combination of conceptual creativity, technical execution, and willingness to completely transform herself demonstrates why Klum remains unmatched in her Halloween dedication. While many celebrities participate in Halloween festivities, none approach it with the same level of commitment, artistry, and passion as Klum. Her annual transformations have become a beloved tradition that showcases the possibilities of costume design when backed by imagination, resources, and a genuine love for the holiday. As Klum herself expressed regarding the effort behind her costumes: “I know that the people around the world are watching and I love it so much. I know I have so many Halloween fans out there and I never want to let them down.” Based on the reaction to her Medusa costume, it’s safe to say that in 2025, as in previous years, the Halloween Queen did not disappoint.