Naomi Campbell Challenges Charity Trustee Ban in Tribunal
On Tuesday, supermodel Naomi Campbell appeared before a tribunal to contest a ban imposed by the U.K.’s charity regulator, which prevents her from serving as a charity trustee in England and Wales. The ban stems from alleged financial mismanagement at her Fashion for Relief charity, disqualifying Campbell, who is now 56, from trustee roles for five years.
The Charity Commission’s 2024 findings revealed that funds from the charity, which was established to support poverty relief and disaster victims, were used for Campbell’s luxury hotel expenses in Cannes, France, including spa treatments, room service, and cigarettes. Between 2016 and 2022, only 8.5% of the charity’s expenditures were directed towards charitable grants.
Campbell, appealing the decision since last year, claims she was a “victim of fraud and forgery.” In her tribunal testimony, she accused fellow trustee Bianka Hellmich of deception, alleging that Hellmich forged her signature and misrepresented her qualifications as a charity lawyer.
“I did not do a check on Bianka,” Campbell admitted, expressing that she believed Hellmich was “acting within the law.”
Hellmich faced a nine-year disqualification by the Charity Commission after an investigation revealed she had improperly obtained approximately 290,000 pounds ($385,000) for consultancy services. Campbell’s lawyer, Andrew Westwood, argued that Hellmich advised Campbell to serve as a mere “figurehead” while perpetrating a scheme of mismanagement.
In a prior written statement, Campbell emphasized her commitment to genuine philanthropic efforts, stating, “I have never undertaken philanthropic work for personal gain, nor will I ever do so.”
Fashion for Relief, launched in 2005 in the U.S. and registered in the U.K. a decade later, aimed to mobilize the fashion industry to address global poverty and disaster challenges. The charity was dissolved and removed from the charity register in 2024.
Another trustee, Veronica Chou, received a four-year ban following the investigation by the charity watchdog. Additional testimonies were anticipated in the tribunal proceedings on Wednesday.
