Naomi Campbell banned from being charity trustee

Supermodel Naomi Campbell has been prohibited from serving as a trustee for a charity after an oversight organization discovered that donations were used to cover expenses for lavish hotels and spa services.

An investigation by the Charity Commission revealed that Fashion for Relief was not donating as much of the funds it collected as expected.

Instead, the funds were being used for cigarettes and safety measures for Campbell, along with unauthorized payments to one of her fellow charity board members.

"I just learned about the discoveries today, and I am very worried," Campbell, 54, shared with the AP news agency.

She has received a five-year ban from participating in any charity activities. Two other trustees, Bianka Hellmich and Veronica Chou, have been prohibited from involvement for nine years and four years, respectively.

The BBC has reached out to the agents of the British model.

The investigation revealed that £290,000 in unauthorized payments for consultancy services had been made to Ms. Hellmich, violating the charity's rules.

While Ms. Hellmich had taken the initiative to suggest returning the funds, the interim managers appointed by the Commission managed to obtain repayments for the charity.

Investigators were able to recover almost £345,000 from the charity, and measures have been put in place to safeguard an additional £98,000 of the charity's funds.

The money has been allocated to support two other charitable organizations: Save the Children Fund and the Mayor’s Fund for London. It has also been used to settle Fashion for Relief's financial obligations.

The investigation examined the spending of Fashion for Relief from April 2016 to July 2022 and revealed that only 8.5% of the money raised was allocated to charitable donations.

After the investigation was launched, both Save the Children Fund and the Mayor’s Fund for London raised concerns with the commission about Fashion for Relief.

Fashion for Relief organized fundraising events to support two charities, but the investigation revealed that it did not effectively handle its partnership agreements.

Tim Hopkins, a member of the investigations team, stated: "Trustees have a legal obligation to make choices that benefit their charity and to fulfill their legal duties and responsibilities."

He stated, "Our investigation revealed that the charity's trustees did not take the necessary steps, leading us to take action to disqualify them."

Fashion for Relief was taken off the charity register on March 15, 2024.