Seal Discusses Separation From Heidi Klum on 'Ellen'
Seal visited talk show hosts Ellen DeGeneres and Tavis Smiley on Tuesday to promote his new album and wasn't shy about discussing the recent announcement of his split with wife, model Heidi Klum.
"I think we were shocked," Seal told Ellen of the sudden split. "You go into these things with the greatest intentions when you say 'I do' and you say 'Till death do us part.' Those vows hold value. They are not just words."
Seal, 48, explained that after children and so many years together, people sometimes do grow apart.
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"You just grow apart after a while. You try and you work through it and the thing that you quickly realize when you are married and you become a parent you do the best that you can. It makes you actually appreciate your parents a lot more."
After the announcement of the split over the weekend, TMZ reported that Klum, 38, had spent the last several weeks interviewing "the best divorce lawyers" in Los Angeles. Sources for the site claimed Klum ended her nearly seven-year marriage to the British singer because of his "volcanic temper."
Seal reiterated in his interviews that he and Klum had no bad blood.
"She's still, in my opinion, the most wonderful woman in the world. I think our priority was to remain civil and do this thing with dignity," Seal, told Ellen. "We still very much love each other ... To say that neither of us were grieving would be an out-and-out lie, and I don't mind telling you that."
When Ellen noticed that Seal was still wearing his wedding ring, Seal said, "I think it's just pretty much a token of how I feel about this woman. We have eight years -- eight wonderful years together. Just because we have decided to separate doesn't necessarily mean you take off your ring and you're no longer connected to that person."
When asked by Tavis Smiley if it was difficult to promote an album filled with love songs while going through a break up, Seal said "not really."
"To be honest, it's not really that difficult and it's not really that much of an issue," Seal told Smiley. "What one has to do in this situation is remain civil and to retain one's dignity and to be professional and to understand we are not the only people on this planet that go through this. It is just unfortunately a chapter of life."
Heidi Klum and Seal were wed in May 2005. The couple have three children together and Seal has acted as a father to Klum's first child from a previous relationship.
Although the couple said in a joint statement that they have regrettably "grown apart," Seal told Ellen they will always be joined together by their children.
"We will be connected in many ways till the rest of our lives, through our children and also through this tremendous admiration, respect and love that we have for each other. Will we wear the rings for the rest of our lives? Who knows? But right now it feels really comfortable on my hand, so I have no intention of taking it off anytime soon," Seal explained.
