The United Kingdom Charity Commission has banned supermodel Naomi Campbell from serving as a charity trustee for five years following an investigation that uncovered serious financial misconduct at her organization, Fashion for Relief. The inquiry, released on September 26, found that funds raised by the charity were improperly spent on luxury expenses, including spa treatments and room service charges.
The investigation revealed that between April 2016 and July 2022, only 8.5% of Fashion for Relief’s total expenditures were allocated to charitable grants. Instead, tens of thousands of pounds were used for extravagant hotel stays and personal expenses, including a five-star hotel in the south of France where Campbell reportedly stayed at charity expense. One incident highlighted was a three-night hotel stay costing approximately £10,400 (around $13,000) in 2018.
The inquiry also identified unauthorized payments made to fellow trustees, with Bianka Hellmich receiving £290,000 in consultancy fees without proper justification. Hellmich has been banned from charity work for nine years, while another trustee, Veronica Chou, faces a four-year ban.
Tim Hopkins, assistant director for specialist investigations at the Charity Commission, stated, “Trustees are legally obligated to make decisions that serve the best interests of their charity and adhere to their legal responsibilities. Our investigation has shown that the trustees of this charity did not fulfil these obligations.”
In response to the findings, Campbell expressed her disappointment and denied responsibility for the financial mismanagement. Speaking in Paris after receiving an honour from the French government, she stated, “I was not in control of my charity. I put the control in the hands of a lawyer.” She emphasized that she is investigating how the funds were mishandled and reiterated her commitment to charitable work.
Fashion for Relief was established in 2005 with the mission of raising funds for various causes, including support for child refugees and victims of natural disasters. However, it was officially dissolved earlier this year amid mounting scrutiny over its financial practices.
