Heidi Klum defends her relationship with young boyfriend Vito Schnabel, calls herself a nudist

Heidi Klum has opened up about her relationship with her much younger boyfriend Vito Schnabel, saying it is "not about age". The supermodel is 13 years older than her beau, with whom she was first romantically linked in 2014.

During an interview for Ocean Drive magazine's December issue (Via USA Today), the Project Runway star said, "We have an amazing connection, we have fun together, and we love each other."

"It doesn't matter what people say. As long as you know when you close your door in your own home, you have an amazing time together. That's really all that matters," she added.

The 43-year-old, who has been pictured topless numerous times while on vacations, said she likes to go topless and considers herself a "nudist".

"I grew up going to nude beaches with my parents, so I'm a nudist," Klum said.

"I have no problems with nudity at all. I'm very free. When I go to the beach, it's in a very remote place where there are not a lot of people, and I like to go topless."

Although she has been pictured topless and flaunting PDA during her vacations, it was always in places where there was nobody but the paparazzi makes it look like she was having an intimate moment in front of everyone, Klum added.

"I'm not doing PDA on the beach with tons of people. I go on a boat or I take a hike somewhere. If you would zoom out in the places where I'm with my boyfriend, there's nobody there," she said.

"Unfortunately, paparazzi always follow us, in a helicopter or they hang behind a bush or a boat and they come up with scuba gear. But to the outside world, it looks like we're frolicking on the beach having a show in front of everyone."