'Deceived' Campbell wins legal fight over charity funds used for luxury hotel stay

On Thursday, supermodel Naomi Campbell secured victory in her appeal against a five-year ban from serving as a charity trustee. A London tribunal ruled that the misuse of funds at the charity she established had been hidden from her awareness. Naomi Campbell, a prominent figure in the fashion industry, founded Fashion For Relief in 2005, with the goal of raising money for humanitarian causes through runway shows.

However, in 2024, the charity was removed from the Charity Commission's register and Campbell was subsequently barred from acting as a trustee following allegations of mismanagement and misconduct. An investigation by the Charity Commission revealed widespread financial mismanagement, including the expenditure of funds raised for good causes on luxury items such as spa treatments, cigarettes, and room service when Campbell was residing in a five-star hotel near Cannes, France in May 2018.

Additionally, a lawyer acting as a trustee received approximately £290,000 ($382,771) in unauthorized payments for roles resembling consultancy fees. Despite these findings, Campbell maintained that she was unaware of the charity funds being used to cover her expenses and that she was deceived by another trustee regarding the unauthorized payments.

The First-Tier Tribunal's ruling acknowledged serious misconduct and mismanagement at Fashion for Relief but emphasized that the unauthorized payments and misuse of funds had been concealed from Campbell.

The tribunal also determined that Campbell bore no responsibility for the improper use of the charity's resources or any unjustified expenditures during her 2018 hotel stay. While Campbell shared some responsibility for the charity's failure to maintain accurate minutes and submit accounts on time, the tribunal concluded that this did not disqualify her from serving as a charity trustee. At present, neither Campbell nor the Charity Commission have commented on the ruling.