LONDON — Supermodel Naomi Campbell won a court case on Thursday to overturn a five-year ban on acting as a charity trustee in England and Wales.
The three-judge court found that Campbell, 56, had been “deceived” by Bianka Hellmich, a trustee of anti-poverty charity Fashion for Relief, which hosted fundraising events in Cannes and London.
Two years ago, the Charity Commission, which registers and regulates charities in England and Wales, found “numerous cases of abuse and/or mismanagement” at the charity. This included a stay at a five-star hotel in Cannes, as well as using charity funds for spa treatments, room service and cigarettes. As a result, he banned Campbell.
In its ruling, the court confirmed there had been “serious misconduct and mismanagement” but concluded that “failures in the charity’s financial management and misuse of its funds” resulted from Hellmich’s conduct. He added that these were “hidden” from the supermodel.
Judges found Hellmich had “used false documents” and also deceived professional advisers and the Charity Commission.
The judges also said that although Campbell shared responsibility for the charity’s failure to submit its accounts in a timely manner, this did not mean he was unfit to be a trustee of the charity.
During the four-day hearing in June, Campbell said his “only mistake” was trusting Hellmich, forging Hellmich’s signature and lying about his identity as a charity lawyer.
Campbell told the court in central London that he and the Charity Commission had been deceived, saying: “I don’t look at it as a failure, I look at it as not trusting someone I knew, someone who was a barrister.”
The commission opposed Campbell’s appeal and said the five-year ban should be upheld.
An investigation into Charity Fashion was launched by the Commission in 2021, and the charity was dissolved and removed from the charities register in 2024.
___
This story has been changed to correct the Charity Commission’s decision from last year to 2024.