Naomi Campbell wins charity trustee ban appeal

Supermodel Naomi Campbell has successfully overturned a five-year ban on being a charity trustee. The Charity Commission had disqualified the 56-year-old in 2024 following findings of serious mismanagement of funds at Fashion for Relief, a charity she founded. The ban prevented her from acting as a trustee for any registered charity in England and Wales.

Tribunal finds deception by co-trustee

In a judgment delivered on Thursday, a First Tier Tribunal ruled in Ms Campbell's favour. Judges Joe Neville and James Armstrong-Holmes, sitting with a third member, determined that while there was serious misconduct and mismanagement in the administration of Fashion for Relief, its most serious aspects were the result of fellow trustee Bianka Hellmich's conduct. The tribunal found these issues, including unauthorised payments and misuse of charity funds, were concealed from Ms Campbell.

The tribunal stated that Ms Hellmich had used forged documents and deceived professional advisers and the Charity Commission. Judges confirmed that Ms Campbell was not involved in or aware of this conduct. While Ms Campbell shared responsibility for the charity failing to file its accounts on time, the tribunal concluded this did not render her unfit to be a trustee given the circumstances, including the sustained deception she faced.

Other trustees disqualified

Ms Campbell was one of three trustees disqualified as a consequence of the Charity Commission's investigation. Bianka Hellmich received a nine-year disqualification, and Veronica Chou was disqualified for four years. The Charity Commission regulates charities across England and Wales.

Campbell's statement

During a four-day hearing in June, Ms Campbell told the central London tribunal that her "only mistake" was trusting Ms Hellmich. She alleged that Ms Hellmich had forged her signature and misrepresented her credentials as a charity lawyer. Ms Campbell stated she did not view the situation as a failure but as a consequence of trusting someone she knew.