Supermodel Naomi Campbell has admitted to some lapses in her role as a trustee of the Fashion for Relief charity, which she established, according to media reports on Friday.
However, Campbell maintained that she did not engage in any financial impropriety or misuse the charity for personal benefit during its tenure, the reports stated. Fashion for Relief did not respond promptly to a request for comment from Reuters, and Campbell could not be contacted in London on Friday evening.
Campbell's spokesperson informed The Guardian that she "may not have been as actively involved in the charity's day-to-day operations as she ought to have been," but emphasized that she had "never engaged in any form of financial misconduct." Last month, she was prohibited from serving as a charity trustee for five years after an investigation revealed that funds intended for good causes were used for spa treatments and cigarettes.
The Guardian reported, citing a statement on behalf of Campbell, that "Naomi has never received payment for her involvement with Fashion for Relief, nor has she billed any personal expenses to the organization." Campbell founded Fashion For Relief in 2005 with the goal of raising funds for humanitarian causes through runway shows, but the charity was delisted from Britain's charity register this year.
An investigation by the Charity Commission uncovered multiple instances of misconduct and mismanagement within the organization, leading to the commission banning Campbell and two others from trusteeship. Between 2016-2022, the regulator found that only 8.5 percent of Fashion for Relief's expenditure was allocated to charitable grants. Unauthorized payments totaling 290,000 pounds ($388,000; Dh1.4 million) were made to one of the trustees, while additional funds were spent on room service, spa treatments, and cigarettes.
