Naomi Campbell Banned as Charity Trustee for 5 Years After Spending Funds on Hotels, Spas and Cigarettes

It would appear that Naomi Campbell has displayed some less than model behavior.

The acclaimed supermodel has been disqualified from any charity involvement in England and Wales for the next five years after it was found that Fashion for Relief—a charity organization she helped found in 2005—had been misappropriating funds.

A Sept. 26 inquiry by the Charity Commission for England and Wales confirmed that there were "multiple instances of misconduct and / or mismanagement" by Campbell, as well as her fellow trustees, Bianka Hellmich and Veronica Chou, who have also been banned from charitable works for nine years and four years, respectively.

The Commission found that "between April 2016 and July 2022, only 8.5 percent of the charity's overall expenditure was on charitable grants," and noted that in May 2018, the trustees spent €14,800 (about $19,800) on a flight from London to Nice for a fundraising event, according to the decision shared on their public website. During that trip, the inquiry stated Campbell also used the charity's funds to spend €9,400 (about $12,500) on hotel accommodations, as well as an additional €7,939.75 (about $10,700)—paid for by the charity—on "spa treatments, room service, and the purchase of cigarettes and hotel products."

Fashion for Relief's trustees told the commission in the inquiry that the hotel and travel expenses were considered a "cost-effective choice" and that the cost of the hotel was typically covered by a donor to the charity. However, the inquiry noted that, "No evidence was provided by the trustees to evidence such payments by the Donor and no corresponding credits to the charity, from the Donor, were identified from the Inquiry's review of the charity's financial records."

According to the Charity Commission, "Fashion for Relief, which has been removed from the register of charities, was set up for the purpose of poverty relief and advancing health and education by making grants to charities or other organisations and by giving resources directly to those affected."

The commission's inquiry also found that "unauthorised payments totalling £290,000 for consultancy services had been made to a trustee, Bianka Hellmich, which was in breach of the charity's constitution," although they did note in their decision that she had "proactively proposed repaying these funds" which amount to around $388,000.

As for Campbell, she has stated that she was "extremely concerned" by the findings.

"I was not in control of my charity," the 54-year-old told the Associated Press while being named a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters at the French Ministry for Culture Sept. 26. "I put the control in the hands of a legal employer."

She added, "We are investigating to find out what and how, and everything I do and every penny I ever raised goes to charity."

E! News reached out to reps for Campbell, Hellmich and Chou for comment on the inquiry but has not heard back. 

Fashion for Relief was dissolved and removed from the Register of Charities on March 15.

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