Naomi Campbell successfully appealed her ban from serving as a charity trustee, overturning a five-year restriction placed on her in 2024. The London tribunal determined that the misuse of funds at the charity she established had been hidden from her knowledge.
The tribunal panel confirmed that Campbell did not know about the €4,386 (£3,750) in hotel charges from a trip to the south of France in 2018. Furthermore, the panel found that the most serious issues, including the misuse of funds and unauthorized payments to her co-trustee, Bianka Hellmich, stemmed from Ms Hellmich's actions and were concealed from Campbell.
Campbell stated that she was deceived by another trustee regarding the unauthorized payments and had no knowledge of the charity funds being spent on her expenses. The First-Tier Tribunal panel corroborated Campbell's claim of deception using documentary evidence.
While the tribunal cleared her of responsibility for the inappropriate use of resources during her 2018 hotel stay, it did rule that Campbell shared ultimate responsibility for the charity's failure to file accounts and keep proper minutes on time. However, the tribunal also stated that this failure to maintain minutes and file accounts promptly did not render her unfit to serve as a charity trustee.
Campbell, who founded Fashion for Relief in 2005 to aid Hurricane Katrina victims, expressed gratitude, stating, “I'm so grateful to the tribunal and the judges for taking the time to hear my side, look at the evidence and see the truth of what happened.” The Charity Commission spokesperson noted that regulatory actions resulted in other charities recovering nearly £250,000.
