Naomi Campbell breaks silence on charity ban

Supermodel Naomi Campbell has responded to the allegations of mismanaging finances of her charity Fashion for Relief.

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The 54-year-old supermodel was banned by Britain from being a charity trustee for five years after an inquiry found that funds raised for good causes were used for spa treatments and cigarettes.

Reacting to the inquiry, Campbell said that the report was ‘incomplete and misleading,’ while demanding a fresh probe into the alleged embezzlement of charity funds, Metro UK reported.

“After carefully reviewing the Charity Commission’s report concerning Fashion for Relief (UK), I find their conclusions to be incomplete and misleading in their consideration of evidence,” Naomi Campbell said in a statement.

While the 54-year-old acknowledged being the face of Fashion for Relief charity, she said that she was not involved in “day-to-day operations of the organization.”

“I entrusted the legal and operational management to others. I want to assure everyone who has supported us that these findings are being taken very seriously. I have instructed new advisers to undertake a detailed investigation of what transpired,” she added.

Rebutting the claims of using the charity funds for spa treatments and cigarettes, Campbell reiterated that she did not undertake philanthropic work for personal gain.

“I’ve dedicated nearly 30 years of my life to charitable initiatives and I care deeply about the value and impact of the work I do,” she said.

According to Naomi Campbell, she had always worked to align her charity work requiring travel and accommodation with “paid assignments” and would personally cover costs where not possible.

“In terms of the specific hotel expense mentioned in the report, the hotel has confirmed that all charges were settled by my personal travel agent,” the supermodel said.

It is pertinent to mention here that Campbell founded Fashion For Relief in 2005, aiming to raise funds for humanitarian causes by staging runway shows, but the charity was removed from Britain’s list of charities this year.

An inquiry published into the organisation by the Charity Commission found multiple instances of misconduct and mismanagement, and the commission said it was banning Campbell plus two others from trusteeship as a result.

Between 2016-2022, the regulator found that only 8.5% of Fashion for Relief’s expenditure was directed towards charitable grants. Unauthorised payments of 290,000 pounds ($388,000) were made to one of the trustees, while money was also spent on room service, spa treatments and cigarettes.