Naomi Campbell Banned as Charity Trustee After Financial Misconduct Scandal

British supermodel Naomi Campbell can no longer serve as a charity trustee following an investigation into financial misconduct at her poverty relief charity, Fashion for Relief.A watchdog inquiry uncovered widespread mismanagement, leading to Campbell’s disqualification for five years from acting as a trustee in England and Wales.

Highlights

Banned as trustee: Naomi Campbell disqualified for five years after a Charity Commission investigation.
Financial misconduct: Only a small fraction of the funds raised by her charity reached good causes.
Extravagant spending: They used charity money for personal luxury expenses, including hotel stays, flights, and spa treatments.

Investigation Findings

The Charity Commission’s investigation into Fashion for Relief revealed significant financial mismanagement.The charity, founded by Campbell in 2005, raised nearly £4.8 million (Ksh. 718 million). over five years, primarily through celebrity fashion events. However, only £389,000 (Ksh. 55 million) of The charity distributed this amount as grants to partner organizations.

The commission found that Campbell spent tens of thousands of pounds on luxury hotel rooms, flights, spa treatments, personal security, and cigarettes. Additionally, £290,000 (Ksh. 41 million) in unauthorized consultancy fees was paid to fellow trustee Bianka Hellmich, along with £26,000 (Ksh. 3.7 million) in annual travel expenses over two years.

Poor financial management

The charity also failed to manage its partnership agreements with key charities, such as Save the Children and The Mayor’s Fund for London. Both organizations had raised complaints to the Charity Commission after receiving no payments from Fashion for Relief fundraising events. Following the investigation, interim managers were able to recover nearly £350,000 (Ksh. 50 million), which was distributed to the two charities.

Tim Hopkins, part of the Charity Commission’s investigation team, expressed disappointment with the charity’s leadership, stating, “Trustees must legally make decisions in their charity’s best interests.”Unfortunately, this was not the case with Fashion for Relief, leading to the disqualification of its trustees.”

Campbell’s Response

In response to the findings, Campbell acknowledged her role in the charity’s failings but defended herself, stating that she had no involvement in its day-to-day operations. She explained, “As the face of Fashion for Relief, I recognize I am ultimately responsible. However, I entrusted the legal and operational management to others.”

Campbell further noted that she had instructed new advisers to conduct a detailed investigation of what went wrong. Despite the scandal, she maintained that “every penny I ever raised goes to charity.”

Campbell wasn’t the only trustee to face consequences.Authorities disqualified Bianka Hellmich for nine years after discovering she had received £290,000 in unauthorized consultancy fees. Another trustee, Veronica Chou, received a four-year ban.

Hellmich agreed to repay the fees in a settlement plan with the Charity Commission. The full amount was repaid by April 2023.

The Closure of Fashion for Relief

Following the investigation, authorities removed Fashion for Relief from the charity register on March 15, 2024.The charity, which once organized high-profile fashion shows in cities like New York, London, Cannes, and Moscow, had raised over $15 million for global causes since its inception in 2005.

Initially established after Hurricane Katrina, Fashion for Relief aimed to unite the fashion industry in addressing global issues such as poverty, health, and education. Despite the initial success of its events, the charity’s inability to manage its finances properly and its extravagant spending ultimately led to its downfall.

The scandal surrounding Naomi Campbell’s charity has raised concerns about the responsibilities of trustees and the governance of charitable organizations. Although Campbell has accepted responsibility for the charity’s financial failings, the revelations have cast a shadow over her philanthropic work. As the charity world watches closely, Campbell’s next steps will determine if she can rebuild her reputation in the wake of this scandal.