The undisputed Queen of Halloween has once again reclaimed her throne. In a stunning display of creativity and commitment, Heidi Klum unveiled her 2025 Halloween costume at her legendary annual party in New York City on October 31, leaving guests and fans around the world in awe. This year, the supermodel transformed into the fearsome mythological creature Medusa, a gorgon with serpents for hair whose gaze could turn mortals to stone. Klum’s interpretation was not just a costume but a masterpiece of special effects artistry, cementing her status as the reigning champion of the holiday.
The Mythical Monster Comes to Life
Klum’s Medusa was a terrifying vision brought to life with breathtaking detail. The costume was an elaborate, full-body creation that required an incredible 10 hours of application and a team of 15 artists to complete. Speaking with E! News at her star-studded event, Klum revealed the immense effort behind the look. “Everything is hand-painted,” she explained, highlighting the dedication of her team. “I think they did a great job.”
The centerpiece of the transformation was her head, which featured a mass of writhing, individually moving snakes in place of her signature blonde hair. The realism was chilling. Her face was completely hidden under layers of grotesque prosthetics, creating a truly monstrous visage with sunken eyes and menacingly sharp teeth. The look extended across her entire body, which was covered in intricate, reptilian skin and culminated in a long, slithering tail. To complete the character, she carried a bow and arrow, ready to hunt her next victim.
Klum had been planning this specific character for a while. “I’ve been thinking about Medusa for a long time because I have seen many Medusas over the years and I thought, you know, one day I’m going to try my own,” she said. Her goal was to elevate the concept to a new level. “I really wanted to have snakes that are moving, a very ugly, very scary face, really ugly teeth and a really long rattlesnake-like [body].”
No Heidi Klum Halloween is complete without a perfectly coordinated partner, and her husband, Tom Kaulitz, delivered a brilliant performance. The 36-year-old musician complemented his wife’s costume by embodying one of Medusa’s victims. Dressed from head to toe in shades of gray and frozen in a dramatic pose, Kaulitz played the part of a Greek soldier who had been turned to stone by Medusa’s fatal stare. The couple’s combined look told a complete story, showcasing the incredible thought and narrative detail that goes into their annual appearance.
The Build-Up to the Big Reveal
In the days leading up to her party, Klum masterfully built anticipation with a series of teases. During an appearance on Good Morning America on October 29, she gave fans a hint of what to expect. “If I were to tease you, I would be very ugly. Very scary! But very ugly,” she revealed. She warned that on a scale of one to ten for ugliness, her costume would be “an eleven.”
She even offered a sneak peek of her monstrous teeth, showing a close-up photo and remarking, “They are very sharp. I have to make sure my tongue doesn’t [poke] it. Like chicken skewers.” She playfully worried about the logistics, joking, “I hope I can still kiss in this.”
On the day of the party, she took to Instagram to give her followers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the lengthy transformation process. One clip showed her in a bald cap with her face painted in mottled shades of green and orange, her eyebrows completely covered. Fans flooded the comments with guesses, speculating she might be the Grinch. Fellow model Winnie Harlow summed up the excitement, writing, “The Queen of Halloween is coming 😍🔥🔥”.
Dedication to the Crown
Klum’s commitment to Halloween goes far beyond simply putting on a costume. She understands the expectation she has created and embraces the pressure to deliver an unforgettable spectacle each year. “I know that people from all over the world are watching, and I love that so much,” she shared. “I know I have a lot of Halloween fans and I never want to disappoint them.”
This dedication comes at a physical cost. She acknowledged the discomfort of wearing heavy prosthetics and layers of paint for hours on end. “There will be a lot of prosthetics and a lot of paint and sprays, and tomorrow I will have a lot of hives and pimples,” she said. But for Klum, it’s a small price to pay. She laughingly referred to any resulting skin irritation as simply “decorative.”
A Look Back at Halloween Royalty
This year’s Medusa joins a long and iconic lineage of Heidi Klum’s Halloween transformations. In 2024, she stunned as a magnificent peacock, wearing a head-to-toe blue bodysuit and beak prosthetic while accompanied by a troupe of Cirque du Soleil performers who formed her massive, feathered tail. Over the years, her most memorable costumes have included Princess Fiona from Shrek, a horrifyingly realistic giant worm, a skinless anatomical body, and even an elderly version of herself. Each costume is a testament to her boundless imagination and her passion for bringing fantastical characters to life, proving time and again why her party is the most anticipated event of the Halloween season.