British supermodel Naomi Campbell has been disqualified from serving as a charity trustee in England and Wales for five years, following a ruling that the poverty charity she founded nearly two decades ago was "poorly governed" with "inadequate financial management." After a three-year investigation into the financial activities of "Fashion for Relief," the Charity Commission, which oversees charities in England and Wales, found "multiple instances of misconduct and/or mismanagement." During a six-year period from 2016, only 8.5% of the charity's overall expenditure was allocated to charitable grants.

For instance, the regulator discovered that thousands of pounds worth of charity funds were used to cover the cost of a luxury hotel stay in Cannes for Campbell, including spa treatments, room service, and even cigarettes. The trustees were asked to provide explanations, but no evidence was submitted to support their claim that hotel expenses were usually covered by a donor, thus not costing the charity.

Campbell, 54, expressed deep concern over the regulator's findings and stated that an internal investigation was underway. "I was not in control of my charity; I entrusted the control to a legal employer," she said. "We are investigating to uncover what happened and how, and every action I take and every penny I raise goes to charity."

The commission also discovered that fellow trustee Bianka Hellmich received approximately £290,000 (€347,600) in unauthorized funds for consultancy services, which violated the charity's constitution. Hellmich has been disqualified as a trustee for nine years, while another trustee, Veronica Chou, was barred for four years. "Trustees are legally bound to make decisions that are in their charity's best interests and to adhere to their legal duties and responsibilities," said Tim Hopkins, deputy director for specialist investigations and standards. "Our inquiry found that the trustees of this charity failed to do so, leading to our decision to disqualify them."

Founded in 2005 in response to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, the charity was dissolved and removed from the register of charities earlier this year. Despite this, the charity's website remains active, stating that it has presented fashion initiatives and projects in New York, London, Cannes, Moscow, Mumbai, and Dar es Salaam, raising over $15 million (approx. €13.4m) for various causes worldwide. The charity was established with the goal of uniting the fashion industry to alleviate poverty and promote health and education by providing grants to other organizations and supporting global disasters.

The commission reported that around £344,000 (€412,300) has been recovered, with an additional £98,000 (€117,000) of charitable funds protected. These funds were used to make donations to two other charities and settle outstanding liabilities.