A Charity Commission investigation found she spent thousands of dollars on luxuries such as spa treatments, room service and purchasing cigarettes.
Former supermodel Naomi Campbell has been found to have misused funds raised by her charity Fashion for Relief for personal expenses such as spa treatments and room service, an investigation has revealed. He was banned from running a charity for five years.
A British Charity Commission investigation published on Thursday revealed “multiple instances of misconduct”. This included using a charity fund to pay for Campbell's stay at a luxury hotel in the south of France.
The watchdog found that between April 2016 and July 2022, just 8.5% of charities' spending went to grants to charities. As a result of the committee's findings, Mr Campbell and two other trustees were disqualified from running the charity.
Campbell rose to fame in the 1990s, becoming the first black model to appear on the cover of a magazine. UK Vogue For over 20 years, it has continued to have a huge influence on the fashion world. In June, an exhibition dedicated to her career opened at London's Victoria and Albert Museum.
Mr Campbell, speaking in Paris on Thursday where he was honored by the French government, denied any responsibility. “I wasn't in control of my charity work. I turned it over to my lawyer.”
She added that she is looking into the matter and stressed that all her efforts and the funds raised are aimed at supporting charities.
Attention: Campbell denies claims of wrongdoing
Extravagant Luxury: $10,400 Hotel Stay
Fashion for Relief was known for hosting glitzy, star-studded fundraising events in London and Cannes. The charity supported projects such as aid to child refugees and victims of the Ebola crisis. The event, held on the French Riviera in 2017, was attended by celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio, Antonio Banderas and Uma Thurman.
But the investigation found questionable spending, including a three-night hotel stay in 2018 that cost $10,400. The Charity Commission said there was no evidence that the trustees ensured these costs were reasonable. The regulator also scrutinized the additional costs of Ms Campbell's hotel stay, totaling £6,600, including spa treatments, room service and the purchase of cigarettes. The trustees argued that donors typically cover these costs, but could not provide evidence.
The commission concluded that there had been serious misconduct and mismanagement in the charity's operations since its establishment in 2005. Fashion for Relief, which aims to unite the fashion industry to support people living in adversity, was disbanded earlier this year and removed from the charity register.
Read now: Roberta Durant talks about Lifetime Achievement Award and iconic TV work
