Naomi Campbell Acknowledges Shortcomings as Fashion for Relief Trustee but Denies Financial Misconduct

 

Naomi Campbell has publicly admitted that she fell short in her responsibilities as a trustee of the Fashion for Relief charity she founded. However, she firmly stated that she never engaged in financial misconduct or exploited the charity for personal benefit during its nine-year operation.

Recently, Campbell was banned from managing any charity for five years after a critical report revealed she and two other trustees were involved in significant misconduct and financial mismanagement. The inquiry, conducted by the Charity Commission, found that Fashion for Relief raised approximately £4.8 million from fashion show fundraisers from 2015 to 2020 but allocated only 10% of its £4.6 million proceeds to partner charities as grants.

The investigation disclosed that the charity spent tens of thousands of pounds on luxury accommodations, spa treatments, personal security, and even cigarettes for Campbell during charity events. In response, a spokesperson for Campbell acknowledged her accountability as a trustee and admitted she might not have been as actively engaged in the charity’s daily operations as required, but insisted she never participated in any financial wrongdoing.

A statement from Campbell emphasized her long-standing commitment to charitable causes over the past three decades, asserting that she has always aimed to help others without any intention of personal gain. She clarified that she has never received payment for her role in Fashion for Relief and has not charged any personal expenses to the charity.

The statement also addressed a report from The Guardian about a "serious incident report" filed by UNICEF UK, which stemmed from the misidentification of the charity as a fundraising partner at a Fashion for Relief event during London Fashion Week in September 2019. Campbell’s team noted that there had been discussions regarding a potential collaboration with UNICEF prior to the event and that promotional materials were created. However, they stated that last-minute changes prevented the collaboration, and all efforts were made to eliminate UNICEF branding from the event’s materials.

UNICEF has previously stated that it never had an official partnership with Fashion for Relief and did not receive any funds from the 2019 event. The organization filed the serious incident report in 2022 after discovering its brand had been associated with the event without authorization.

Furthermore, other charities, including Save the Children and The Mayor’s Fund for London, claimed they were owed money after partnering with Fashion for Relief for fundraising events. They eventually received £200,000 and £50,000, respectively, after the charity was dissolved by commission managers in 2023.

The Charity Commission’s inquiry, which lasted two and a half years, uncovered significant mismanagement and poor record-keeping within Fashion for Relief, along with numerous breaches of legal duties by its trustees. This included unauthorized payments of £290,000 made to a fellow trustee, Bianka Hellmich, over two years, which Campbell approved retrospectively, violating their legal responsibilities. Hellmich has since received a nine-year ban from serving as a trustee and has repaid the funds following the commission's intervention.