Heidi Klum confirms budding romance with bodyguard

German supermodel Heidi Klum has confirmed she's dating her longtime bodyguard Martin Kristen.

The Project Runway reality star split from her singer husband Seal earlier this year (12) and she was recently photographed vacationing with Kristen, prompting her estranged spouse to lambast her for sleeping "with the help" during an on-camera interview last month (Aug12).

The former couple held a summit meeting over the weekend (08-09Sep12) to clear the air for the sake of their four children, and now Klum has opened up about the fledgling relationship which sparked Seal's verbal attack.

During a candid interview with Katie Couric, which aired on Wednesday (12Sep12), she confirmed she is growing close to Kristen, but stopped short of referring to her romance as a relationship, telling Couric, "I don't even know if I can call it that... It just started. I don't know where it's gonna go..."

However, Klum is sure about one thing - she insists she would trust Kristen with her children's lives.

She adds, "I've known him for four years... He's cared for our entire family, mostly for all four children, helped us tremendously... I trust him... I trust him with my children's life. He's a great man, we just got to know each other from a completely different side."

But Klum is hesitant about getting too serious too soon - because she doesn't want her youngsters to get hurt again if the romance turns sour.

She says, "I'm trying to think of my kids right now. I don't want them to have to go through all that (another split). I'm trying to protect them from all of this. They're very young - my oldest is eight, my youngest is turning three and I'm thinking about that. I want to be a good mom for them and I'm taking it one day at a time."