British supermodel Naomi Campbell has been prohibited from serving as a charity trustee in England and Wales for five years, the Charity Commission announced Thursday while Campbell was in Paris.
The regulator’s investigation found that only 8.5% of the funds from Campbell’s charity, Fashion for Relief, were allocated to charitable grants from 2016 to 2022. The inquiry revealed that substantial charity funds were used for a luxury hotel stay in Cannes, France, for Campbell, including expenses for spa treatments, room service, and cigarettes. The Charity Commission sought clarifications from the trustees but stated that no evidence was provided to support their claim that these hotel costs were typically covered by a donor.
This decision follows a three-year investigation into the charity’s financial activities. After receiving the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres award at the French Culture Ministry, Campbell stated, “I was not in control of my charity; I put the control in the hands of a legal lawyer. We are investigating to find out what and how, and everything I do and every penny I ever raised goes to charity.”
The Charity Commission reported recovering approximately £344,000 ($460,000) and protecting an additional £98,000 in charitable funds, which have since been used to make donations to two other charities and settle outstanding liabilities.
The investigation also revealed that fellow trustee Bianka Hellmich received around £290,000 ($385,000) in unauthorized consultancy fees, violating the charity’s constitution. Hellmich has been disqualified as a trustee for nine years, while another trustee, Veronica Chou, has been barred for four years.
Fashion for Relief, founded in 2005, was dissolved and removed from the charity register earlier this year. The charity had previously stated on its website that it organized fashion initiatives and projects in cities including New York, London, and Cannes, raising over $15 million globally.
