Supermodel Naomi Campbell has been barred from serving as a charity trustee in England and Wales. Explore the reasons behind the decision and its implications for her philanthropic work.
British supermodel Naomi Campbell has been prohibited from serving as a charity trustee in England and Wales for a duration of five years.
The Charity Commission announced this decision on Thursday while Campbell was in Paris.
The regulator determined that merely 8.5% of the charity’s total expenditures were allocated to charitable grants over a six-year span beginning in 2016.
For instance, it was reported that substantial amounts of charity funds were utilized to cover a luxurious hotel stay in Cannes, France, for Campbell, along with expenses for spa treatments, room service, and even cigarettes. The regulator requested clarifications from the trustees but stated that no supporting evidence was provided to substantiate their claim that hotel expenses were generally covered by a donor to the charity, thus not incurring costs to the charity itself.
This ruling comes after a three-year investigation into the financial operations of “Fashion for Relief.”
“I was not in control of my charity; I entrusted its management to a legal lawyer,” she remarked immediately after receiving the esteemed Ordre des Arts et des Lettres award at the French Culture Ministry in Paris. “We are conducting an investigation to ascertain the details, and every action I take and every penny I have raised is directed towards charity.”
The award ceremony occurred alongside Paris Fashion Week.
The Charity Commission reported that approximately £344,000 ($460,000) has been recovered, with an additional £98,000 of charitable funds safeguarded. These funds were allocated to donations for two other charities and to settle outstanding debts.
The regulator also discovered that fellow trustee Bianka Hellmich received around £290,000 ($385,000) in unauthorized payments for consultancy services, which violated the charity’s constitution. She has been disqualified as a trustee for nine years, while another trustee, Veronica Chou, has been barred for four years.
Fashion for Relief, established in 2005, was dissolved and removed from the charity register earlier this year.
The organization stated on its website that it has launched fashion initiatives and projects in cities such as New York, London, Cannes, Moscow, Mumbai, and Dar es Salaam, successfully raising more than 15 million dollars globally.
