Naomi Campbell Wins Appeal Over Charity Ban
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Naomi Campbell has won her appeal against a ban on being a charity trustee, following a ruling that she was unaware of misconduct at her charity Fashion for Relief.
Campbell was banned from holding the position for five years in 2024 after a watchdog found that funds raised by Fashion for Relief were misspent on luxury hotels and spa treatments. However, a tribunal determined on Thursday that the most serious instances of misconduct "were concealed" from Campbell by a fellow trustee.
The supermodel founded Fashion for Relief in 2005 to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina, and later launched further campaigns for disasters and causes worldwide. The charity was dissolved in 2023, leading to Campbell's ban the following year due to "serious mismanagement and/or misconduct."
Campbell appealed, alleging that fellow trustee Bianka Hellmich forged her signature and impersonated her through a fake email address to divert funds intended for the charity. She maintained that her "only mistake" was trusting Hellmich. Hellmich has denied these allegations.
The Charity Commission opposed Campbell's challenge, advocating for the five-year ban to stand.
In its ruling, the First-Tier Tribunal panel found that Campbell's claim of deception had been corroborated by documentary evidence. They emphasized that Campbell was entirely honest in her actions and conduct related to the charity.
The tribunal further stated that while Campbell was responsible for some failures in maintaining minutes and filing accounts on time, these were not enough to disqualify her as a trustee.
"There was serious misconduct and mismanagement in the administration of the charity she founded," the ruling noted. However, it concluded that the most serious instances resulted from Hellmich's conduct and were concealed from Campbell.
Unauthorised payments exceeding £290,000 were made to Hellmich for apparent consultancy fees, according to the inquiry findings.