British supermodel and actress Naomi Campbell has won her appeal against a five-year ban from serving a charity trustee.
The ruling, delivered by a London tribunal, cleared her name after months of scrutiny as she was unaware of misconduct at her charity Fashion for Relief. She founded it in 2005 to raise funds for victims of Hurricane Katrina and later expanded it to support global causes ranging from disaster relief to education.
The organization was shut down in 2023 and removed from the Charity Commission’s register in 2024 after investigation found out that Fashion for Relief funds had been spent on luxury hotels and spa treatments.
However, the tribunal said that these expenses were not authorized by Campbell herself, but were linked to Bianka Hellmich, a fellow accused of forging Campbell’s signature, creating fake email addresses and misdirecting funds. Hellmich denied the allegations.
“Ms. Campbell was not involved in, and did not know of, that conduct,” tribunal said.
At the first ruling, the First-Tier tribunal panel said Campbell’s claim that she was deceived had been corroborated by documentary evidence.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we accept that both Ms. Campbell’s evidence, as well as her conduct during the operation of the charity, was entirely honest,” tribunal added.
The tribunal said Campbell must take responsibility for failing to maintain minutes and file accounts on time, as that wasn’t enough disqualify model as a charity trustee.
Another trustee was found to have received unauthorized consultancy payments of more than € 290,000.The judges concluded that Campbell’s conduct was “entirely honest” and she had been kept in the dark about the misconduct.
She thanked the tribunal and the judges for their time and looking at the evidence.
“Giving back has been part of who I am, so having that questioned hurt deeply. Now I can get back to what matters most to me: being there for the people and communities I’ve always wanted to serve. Thank you to my higher power,” Campbell said.
