Naomi Campbell responds to her ban from being a charity trustee for five years since a watchdog investigation found evidence of financial misconduct at Fashion for Relief (UK), a charity she found.
On September 27, 2024, while issuing the response, the supermodel said,
"After carefully reviewing the Charity Comission's report concerning Fashion for Relief (UK), I find their conclusions to be incomplete and misleading in their consideration of evidence. First of all, I recognize that, as the face of Fashion for Relief, I am ultimately responsible for the its conduct."
She then went on to add,
"Unfortunately, I was not involved in the day-to-day operations of the organization and I entrusted the legal and operational management to others."
In her statement, she noted that she has instructed "new advisers to undertake a detailed investigation" and clarified that she has never engaged in philanthropic roles for her personal benefit. She also added that she was never paid for her work at the charity and paid for her personal expenses from her own money.
Naomi said,
"Contrary to media reports, I have never been paid a fee for my participation in Fashion for Relief nor billed any personal expenses to the organisation … Finally, we believe aspects of the report are deeply flawed."
What did the watchdog investigation find out about Naomi Campbell's charity?
Charity Commission published a report on September 26, 2024, claiming that between April 2016 and July 2022, only 8.5% of the charity's overall expenditure went to charity grants.
Campbell was then disqualified from running a charity for five years, and two other trustees of the organizations also faced bans.
The watchdog probe identified "multiple instances of misconduct," including using charity funds to pay for the model's stay in a five-star hotel in south France, including room service and spa treatments.
While responding to the hotel claims in her statement, Naomi said,
"In fact, 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."
About Fashion for Relief
Naomi Campbell founded Fashion for Relief in 2005, along with We Love Brazil. Originally, the charity aimed to raise money for poverty relief by hosting fundraising shows in fashion capitals, including London and New York. Relief causes of the charity included Hurricane Katrina, British Summer Floods, COVID-19, the #MeToo movement, Save the Children, and more.
Naomi was joined by several celebrities in this initiative, including The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, Nicola Roberts, Alesha Dixon, and more. The charity was closed on March 15, 2024.
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