Naomi Campbell wins appeal against charity trustee ban

Model Naomi Campbell has emerged victorious in an appeal against a five-year ban from serving as a charity trustee. The decision comes after a tribunal reviewed her involvement in the Fashion for Relief charity, which she founded to support victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The tribunal found that the most egregious instances of misconduct within the charity were hidden from Campbell by one of her fellow trustees. This revelation has raised questions about the extent of Campbell's knowledge and participation in any wrongdoing at Fashion for Relief.

Campbell had been banned from serving as a trustee for five years in 2024, following an investigation by a watchdog that found funds were being misused for personal expenses such as luxury hotels and spa treatments. The charity was shut down in 2023 after it failed to pass on sufficient donations to the intended beneficiaries.

Fashion for Relief's closure was part of a larger inquiry into the charity's management, which revealed "serious mismanagement and/or misconduct". Campbell had previously claimed that her fellow trustee, lawyer Bianka Hellmich, had impersonated her using a fake email address to divert funds meant for the charity.

The tribunal investigating Naomi Campbell's charity work has accepted that she was deceived by her fellow trustee, Bianka Hellmich.

This decision is based on documentary evidence presented during the case, which supports Campbell's claim of being misled.

According to the ruling, Campbell did not know that €4,386 of hotel expenses from a 2018 trip to southern France were paid for using charity funds.

These charges included a €1,298 bill for dinner room service and €112 for cigarettes, among other items.

The inquiry into the unauthorized payments found that more than £290,000 was paid to Hellmich for apparent consultancy fees.

This revelation is part of a larger picture of deception and dishonesty, as the tribunal ruling states that Hellmich used forged documents and a false email address to deceive both Campbell and professional advisers.

Campbell's involvement in these transactions has been thoroughly scrutinized, with the tribunal concluding that she had no reasonable basis to suspect Hellmich's dishonesty until regulatory concerns emerged.

The supermodel expressed relief at the outcome of the judgment, thanking the tribunal for their thorough examination of the evidence and their recognition of her innocence.

The Charity Commission has confirmed that it will reflect on its decision to disqualify Naomi Campbell as a charity trustee after she won her appeal.

A spokesperson for the commission stated that their intervention had ensured other charities, including Save the Children, received nearly £250,000 in funds that were owed to them. This money would have otherwise been inaccessible due to the alleged deceitful actions of one of the trustees involved.

The commission has acknowledged the court's decision and is now considering any broader implications for its work, following the recognition of sophisticated deception by an individual trustee.