The UK has imposed a five-year ban on supermodel Naomi Campbell from serving as a charity trustee following an inquiry into her charity, Fashion For Relief.
The investigation revealed that funds intended for charitable causes were misused for spa treatments and cigarettes.
Campbell, now 54, is a prominent figure in the fashion industry, having risen to fame in the 1990s alongside other elite supermodels.
She established Fashion For Relief in 2005 to raise money for humanitarian causes through runway shows. However, the charity was removed from Britain’s official charity list earlier this year.
The Charity Commission’s inquiry uncovered numerous instances of misconduct and mismanagement within the organization, leading to the ban of Campbell and two other trustees.
Campbell’s representatives have not commented on the situation.
From 2016 to 2022, the inquiry found that a mere 8.5% of Fashion For Relief’s spending went toward charitable grants.
Additionally, unauthorized payments totaling £290,000 (about $388,000) were made to one of the trustees, with funds also allocated for room service, spa treatments, and cigarettes—expenditures deemed unreasonable by the commission.
“Trustees are legally required to make decisions that are in their charity’s best interests and to comply with their legal duties and responsibilities,” stated Tim Hopkins, Deputy Director of the Charity Commission.
“Our inquiry has found that the trustees of this charity failed to do so.”
The regulator has since recovered over £400,000 from Fashion For Relief, which has been used to settle outstanding liabilities, with the remainder directed to other charities.
Source-Reuters
