Naomi Campbell is pushing back against a five-year ity's ban that sidelined her from serving as a trustee, arguing that she was the victim of "fraud and deception" by a fellow trustee who she says forged her signature and diverted money intended for her organization.
Appearing before a tribunal in London, the supermodel accused attorney and former co-trustee Bianka Hellmich of impersonating her through a fake email address and orchestrating a long-running scheme that mismanaged Fashion for Relief, the charity Campbell founded to support humanitarian causes. According to the BBC, Campbell, who received a five-year ban in 2024 after a regulatory investigation uncovered widespread financial misconduct, has consistently denied knowingly misusing charitable funds.
Naomi Campbell launched Fashion for Relief to bring together the fashion industry in support of poverty relief, education, health initiatives, and disaster response. The charity became known for its high-profile fundraising events featuring celebrities and luxury brands. Campbell told the tribunal that the organization operated without issues in the United States before becoming a registered charity in the United Kingdom. Fashion for Relief was ultimately dissolved in March 2024.
During testimony, Campbell said her "only mistake" was placing her trust in the wrong person. "I trusted the wrong person, what more do you want?" she told the court when questioned about whether she should have done additional vetting of Hellmich's credentials.
Campbell also argued that regulators themselves had communicated extensively with her co-trustee before allegations surfaced. "You trusted her, too," she said, referring to the Charity Commission.
According to submissions from Campbell's attorney, Andrew Westwood KC, Hellmich allegedly concealed "a long-term and consistent scheme of mismanagement and deception." Hellmich has previously denied the accusations, saying there was "absolutely no truth" to them.
The dispute stems from an investigation launched in 2021 by the Charity Commission, which reviewed expenses between 2016 and 2022. Regulators found that only 8.5% of the charity's funds were distributed as grants, despite nearly £4.8 million having been raised over several years. Investigators also alleged that charity money had been spent on luxury hotels, spa treatments, cigarettes, room service, and personal security.
Separate concerns emerged after UNICEF UK complained that Fashion for Relief had promoted a fundraising partnership that allegedly failed to transfer funds to the organization.
Now, both Campbell's legal team and the Charity Commission have referred allegations involving forgery and fraud to the police, as the appeal proceedings continue.
