Naomi Campbell has been disqualified from being a trustee after the Charity Commission found serious mismanagement of finances at charity Fashion for Relief.
The supermodel, 54, was one of the charity’s three trustees who have been disqualified following a regulator’s probe. The disqualification will be effective for five years.
During the inquiry, the charity Commission discovered that between April 2016 and July 2022, 8.5% of the charity’s overall expenditure was on charitable grants.
There was also evidence discovered that showed unreasonable fundraising expenditure. Among the findings was 9,400 euros (£7,800) being spent on a three-night stay at a five-star hotel in Cannes, France, for Campbell. Other mismanagements included a 14,800 euro (£12,300) flight from London to Nice in 2018 for transferring art and jewellery.
In addition, the regulator found that charity money had been held on its behalf by solicitors and accountants instead of being run through a dedicated bank account in the charity’s name. According to the regulator, it recovered over £344,000 and protected a further £98,000 of charitable funds.
Fashion for Relief has been dissolved and was removed from the register of charities earlier this year. It was initially set up as a way to provide poverty relief and advance health and education. It was supposed to do so by making grants to charities or other organisations and by providing resources directly to those affected.
Lawyer Bianka Hellmich and businesswoman Veronica Chou were also disqualified from being trustee, for nine years and four years respectively.
After the findings were released, Charity Commission Deputy Director for Specialist Investigations and Standards, Tim Hopkins, said: "Trustees are legally required to make decisions that are in their charity’s best interests and to comply with their legal duties and responsibilities. Our inquiry has found that the trustees of this charity failed to do so, which has resulted in our action to disqualify them. "
He continued: "This inquiry, and the work of the interim managers we appointed to run the charity in place of the trustees, has resulted in the recovery of £344,000 and protection of a further £98,000 charitable funds. I am pleased that the inquiry has seen donations made to other charities which this charity has previously supported."
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