Naomi Campbell Banned from Charity Trusteeship Over Fraud
Naomi Campbell, the 54-year-old model and actress, has been banned from being a charity trustee for five years following an investigation into her charity Fashion for Relief. The inquiry revealed that funds raised for the charity were misused, including £7,000 spent on a luxury hotel stay and other personal expenses.
Fashion for Relief, which Campbell founded in 2005 to raise funds for causes such as Hurricane Katrina victims, raised over $15 million globally. However, the Charity Commission for England and Wales found that, between 2016 and 2022, only 8.5% of the charity’s funds were allocated to grants. The rest was used for lavish spending on hotels, spa treatments, and security for Campbell, in violation of its charitable objectives.
In addition to Campbell, the Charity Commission also disqualified other trustees involved in the misuse of funds, including £290,000 paid to trustee Bianka Hellmich for unauthorized consultancy services. Despite Hellmich offering to repay, the funds were successfully recovered by interim managers appointed by the Commission.
Campbell responded to the findings by expressing concern and stating she was not directly involved in the charity’s day-to-day operations. Following the investigation, Fashion for Relief was removed from the charity register on March 15, 2024, and Campbell was disqualified from holding trustee positions for five years.
This scandal highlights the serious responsibilities of charity trustees and the importance of transparency in handling charitable funds.