Naomi Campbell appeals charity ban

Naomi Campbell has arrived at a tribunal hearing to appeal a five-year ban on her being a charity trustee.

The 56-year-old supermodel is challenging the results of an investigation into Fashion For Relief, a charity merging fashion and philanthropy, which found that just a small proportion of money raised went to actual good causes.

She claims she was a "victim of fraud and forgery" - including a fake email account said to have been used to impersonate her in communications with lawyers.

In a statement before the hearing, she said her own investigation had revealed "identity fraud and deception", adding that it "helps uncover why most of the funds weren't used as intended".

Fashion For Relief, which she founded, was dissolved and removed from the register of charities in 2024, amid allegations that its funds had been used to pay for a five-star hotel stay in Cannes, spa treatments, and even cigarettes.

Ms Campbell was one of three of trustees to be disqualified by the Charity Commission, which registers and regulates charities in England and Wales.

Its inquiry found that between April 2016 and July 2022, just 8.5% of the charity's overall expenditure was on charitable grants.

On Tuesday, Campbell arrived in central London to give evidence to the tribunal in person.

In a written statement, released before she gave evidence, Campbell said: "I am bringing this appeal to shine a light on the deception I believe was waged against the charity, stopping money from going to the causes it was supposed to."

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Her statement continued: "My investigation has revealed identity fraud and deception and helps uncover why most of the funds weren't used as intended.

"What my legal team has unearthed is shocking, involving fake email addresses and forged communications with the authorities.

"I am pleased the tribunal has given me the chance to speak out, to ensure those responsible are held accountable and justice is done.

"As I have said before, I have never undertaken philanthropic work for personal gain, nor will I ever do so."

In 2024, Campbell said she was "extremely concerned" by the commission's findings and said: "I was not in control of my charity, I put the control in the hands of a legal employer".

Also disqualified as trustees were Bianka Hellmich, for nine years, and Veronica Chou for four years.

Campbell was discovered as a schoolgirl, and went on to become the first black British model to appear on the cover of Vogue France.

The model welcomed her second child, a son, in 2023, following her daughter who was born in 2021.

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