LONDON (AP) — Naomi Campbell, the renowned British supermodel, has received a five-year ban from serving as a trustee for charities in England and Wales. This follows findings from an investigation into her charity, “Fashion for Relief,” which she established nearly 20 years ago. The investigation revealed that the charity was poorly managed and faced serious financial mismanagement issues.
The Charity Commission’s three-year inquiry, initiated in 2021, uncovered several troubling instances of misconduct, noting that only 8.5% of the charity’s total expenses were allocated to charitable grants from 2016 to 2022. This raises significant concerns about the organization’s commitment to its mission, which aimed to alleviate poverty and promote health and education through various initiatives.
Particularly alarming was the revelation that a hefty portion of the charity’s funds was spent on extravagant personal expenses. For example, Campbell’s stay at a luxury hotel in Cannes was funded by charity donations, which also covered spa treatments, room service, and even cigarettes. Although the trustees claimed that the hotel expenses were usually paid by a donor, they could not provide any evidence to substantiate this assertion.
Alongside Campbell, fellow trustee Bianka Hellmich was found to have improperly received about £290,000 (approximately $385,000) for consultancy services, violating the charity’s own rules. As a consequence, Hellmich has been disqualified from serving as a trustee for nine years. Another trustee, Veronica Chou, faced a four-year ban.
Tim Hopkins, deputy director for specialist investigations and standards at the Charity Commission, emphasized the legal responsibilities of trustees, stating, “Our inquiry has found that the trustees of this charity failed to make decisions in the best interest of the organization, prompting our decision to disqualify them.”
Originally founded in 2005 in response to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Fashion for Relief sought to mobilize the fashion industry to support various charitable initiatives worldwide. Prior to its recent dissolution earlier this year, the charity claimed to have raised over $15 million for causes across cities such as New York, London, Cannes, Moscow, Mumbai, and Dar es Salaam.
The Commission reported recovering approximately £344,000 ($460,000) from the charity, alongside protecting another £98,000 in charitable funds. These recovered assets were redirected to other charitable organizations and used to address outstanding debts.
A spokesperson for Naomi Campbell was reached for comment but did not provide a statement at this time.
