Supermodel Naomi Campbell wins legal challenge against five-year charity trustee ban

Ms Campbell challenged the ban at a tribunal hearing earlier this year, where she maintained she had never engaged in any wrongdoing and was herself a victim of fraud.

Two fellow trustees were also disqualified as a result of the Commission’s inquiry: Bianka Hellmich received a nine-year ban, while Veronica Chou was barred for four years. Neither appealed against their disqualification.

The tribunal’s decision marks a significant legal victory for Ms Campbell, who had fiercely contested the regulator’s findings throughout the proceedings.

Fashion for Relief, which Campbell established and which was registered as a UK charity in 2015, raised £4.8m over five years.

However, the Commission’s inquiry revealed that partner organisations such as Save the Children and the Mayor’s Fund for London received just 10 percent of the proceeds.

Between April 2016 and July 2022, a mere 8.5 percent of the charity’s total expenditure went towards charitable grants.

The regulator’s investigation exposed chaotic financial management, including a failure to retain receipts or keep minutes of meetings and decisions.

Fashion for Relief was found to be insolvent after managers appointed by the Commission took control, and it was subsequently wound up and removed from the register of charities in 2024.

Throughout the appeal hearing, Ms Campbell placed the blame squarely on Ms Hellmich, alleging that her co-trustee had forged her signature, created a fake email address to impersonate her in communications with lawyers, and misrepresented her own qualifications as a charity solicitor.

"I trusted the wrong person, what more do you want?" Ms Campbell told the tribunal when pressed on whether she ought to have conducted greater due diligence.

Her barrister, Andrew Westwood KC maintained that Ms Campbell acted in good faith, derived no personal benefit, and had been the victim of an honest mistake born of misplaced trust.

Mr Westwood also accused the regulator of treating Ms Campbell as a "high-profile scalp," claiming the Commission’s inquiry was flawed but that it was "determined to hold on to that scalp at whatever cost."

The Charity Commission’s barrister, Faisel Sadiq, countered that Ms Campbell had "completely abdicated" her trustee duties by delegating oversight to Ms Hellmich without any supervision, rendering her "highly culpable" for the charity’s failings.

Mr Sadiq described Ms Campbell as "an entirely unreliable witness," telling the panel: "Rather than focusing on honesty and accuracy, her focus was on controlling the media narrative."

He argued that Ms Campbell’s busy lifestyle and residence in America did not entitle her to different treatment, and that she had shown no contrition regarding her shortcomings.

Ms Hellmich has denied all allegations, telling the Guardian there is "absolutely no truth" to Ms Campbell’s claims.