British supermodel Naomi Campbell has been disqualified from being a charity trustee for five years after the Charity Commission found serious mismanagement of funds at Fashion for Relief, which she founded.
This included using charity funds to pay for Campbell's stay at a five-star hotel in Cannes, France, as well as spa treatments, room service and cigarettes.
The model is one of three of the charity’s trustees to be disqualified as a result of the probe.
The Charity Commission, which registers and regulates charities in England and Wales, opened an inquiry into Fashion for Relief in 2021.
The charity, which it says was founded by Campbell in 2005, was dissolved and removed from the register of charities earlier this year.
It had been set up with the aim of uniting the fashion industry to relieve poverty and advance health and education, by making grants to other organisations and giving resources towards global disasters.
It hosted fundraising events to generate income, including in Cannes and London.
Some £344,000 (€412,400) has been recovered and a further £98,000 (€117,500) of charitable funds protected, the regulator said.
The Charity Commission’s inquiry found that between April 2016 and July 2022, 8.5% of the charity’s overall expenditure was on charitable grants.
The probe saw no evidence that trustees took action to ensure fundraising methods were in the charity’s best interests, or that the money it spent was reasonable relative to the income it generated.
It also said it found some fundraising expenditure to be misconduct or mismanagement by the charity’s trustees.
This included a €14,800 flight from London to Nice for transferring art and jewellery to a fundraising event in Cannes in 2018.
It also looked into the decision to spend €9,400 of charity funds on a three-night stay at a five-star hotel for Campbell.
Meanwhile, Naomi Campbell was made a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters at the French Ministry for Culture hours after the Charity Commission announcement.
Accepting her medal at an event in Paris on Thursday, Campbell said she was a "grateful human being".
"To my family, you are my foundation and I thank you for your unwavering support," she said.
"I’ve also made a chosen family in this business of fashion, where some would say that we’re very fickle. I can tell you that’s not true.
"To the mentors and collaborators who have guided me, your confidence in me has been invaluable.
"To the designers, photographers, stylists, hair and makeup artists who have brought visions to life, your artistry has shaped my career and I’m profoundly grateful. Merci beaucoup.
"And to the aspiring models and creatives of our colour who have reminded me every day of the importance of representation and staying true to ourselves and yourself, I share this recognition with you."
Source: Press Association
