Naomi Campbell, renowned British supermodel, has been barred from holding a trustee position in any charity in England and Wales for the next five years following an investigation into the finances of Fashion for Relief, the charity she founded in 2005. The regulatory body overseeing charities, the Charity Commission, uncovered serious financial mismanagement within the organization after a prolonged three-year probe.
The inquiry revealed that Fashion for Relief suffered from inadequate financial oversight and governance, with only a small portion of its funds—8.5%—being directed toward charitable activities between 2016 and 2022. This low percentage raised concerns about the charity’s ability to fulfill its mission and prompted deeper scrutiny into its operations.
Among the issues flagged was the use of charity resources for personal expenses. Investigators discovered that significant sums were spent on luxury accommodations for Campbell during a trip to Cannes, France, as well as on personal indulgences such as spa treatments and room service. Trustees defended these expenditures by claiming they were covered by external donors, but failed to provide proof to substantiate these claims.
The investigation also revealed that another trustee, Bianka Hellmich, had been improperly paid around £290,000 for consultancy services, a clear violation of the charity’s own rules. Hellmich has now been disqualified from serving as a trustee for nine years. Additionally, Veronica Chou, another trustee, has been banned for four years.
Tim Hopkins, who leads the Charity Commission’s investigations team, stated, “Trustees must act in their charity’s best interest and adhere to their legal responsibilities. In this case, the trustees failed in those duties, which resulted in serious governance failings.”
Fashion for Relief was originally created to support relief efforts following Hurricane Katrina, but has since ceased operations. The charity was officially removed from the register earlier this year, though its website still claims it raised millions of dollars for various causes worldwide through fashion-related events.
