Naomi Campbell Banned from Charity Work Following Misuse of Funds

Supermodel Naomi Campbell has been banned from serving as a charity trustee for five years following an investigation by the Charity Commission, which revealed misuse of funds from her charity, Fashion for Relief. The inquiry found that donations meant for charitable causes were instead spent on luxury hotels, spa treatments, cigarettes, and security for Campbell and others.

The watchdog’s investigation uncovered that only 8.5% of the charity’s funds were being passed on to charitable causes, with large sums being used for personal and unauthorized payments. Two other trustees, Bianka Hellmich and Veronica Chou, were also implicated and received bans of nine years and four years, respectively.

The inquiry revealed that unauthorized payments totaling £290,000 were made to Hellmich for consultancy services, breaching the charity’s rules. Investigators have since recovered nearly £345,000 and secured the protection of an additional £98,000, which has been redirected to two other charities: Save the Children Fund and the Mayor’s Fund for London.

Fashion for Relief was removed from the register of charities in March 2024, following complaints from both Save the Children and the Mayor’s Fund regarding mismanagement of funds raised through events.

This scandal marks a significant fall from grace for the once-prominent charity, with the commission’s actions aimed at holding trustees accountable for their failure to safeguard the charity’s assets.