Naomi Campbell overturns charity trustee ban

Supermodel Naomi Campbell has successfully won a legal challenge to overturn a five-year ban on serving as a charity trustee in England and Wales. A three-judge tribunal ruled that Campbell had been “deceived” by fellow trustee Bianka Hellmich regarding the management of the anti-poverty charity Fashion for Relief.

The Charity Commission had previously imposed the ban following findings of “misconduct and/or mismanagement” at the charity. Investigations revealed that funds were misused for personal expenses, including luxury hotel stays, spa treatments, and room service. However, the tribunal concluded that these financial failures and the misuse of funds were the result of Hellmich’s conduct, which included using forged documents and deceiving both professional advisers and the Charity Commission.

While the judges noted that Campbell shared responsibility for the charity’s failure to file accounts on time, they determined she was not unfit to serve as a trustee. Campbell maintained during the hearing that her error was trusting Hellmich, whom she alleged forged her signature and misrepresented her professional credentials.