Current:Home > MyNaomi Campbell Banned as Charity Trustee for 5 Years After Spending Funds on Hotels, Spas and Cigarettes-LoTradeCoin
Naomi Campbell Banned as Charity Trustee for 5 Years After Spending Funds on Hotels, Spas and Cigarettes
View Date:2024-12-23 23:38:28
It would appear that Naomi Campbell has displayed some less than model behavior.
The acclaimed supermodel has been disqualified from any charity involvement in England and Wales for the next five years after it was found that Fashion for Relief—a charity organization she helped found in 2005—had been misappropriating funds.
A Sept. 26 inquiry by the Charity Commission for England and Wales confirmed that there were "multiple instances of misconduct and / or mismanagement" by Campbell, as well as her fellow trustees, Bianka Hellmich and Veronica Chou, who have also been banned from charitable works for nine years and four years, respectively.
The Commission found that "between April 2016 and July 2022, only 8.5 percent of the charity's overall expenditure was on charitable grants," and noted that in May 2018, the trustees spent €14,800 (about $19,800) on a flight from London to Nice for a fundraising event, according to the decision shared on their public website. During that trip, the inquiry stated Campbell also used the charity's funds to spend €9,400 (about $12,500) on hotel accommodations, as well as an additional €7,939.75 (about $10,700)—paid for by the charity—on "spa treatments, room service, and the purchase of cigarettes and hotel products."
Fashion for Relief's trustees told the commission in the inquiry that the hotel and travel expenses were considered a "cost-effective choice" and that the cost of the hotel was typically covered by a donor to the charity. However, the inquiry noted that, "No evidence was provided by the trustees to evidence such payments by the Donor and no corresponding credits to the charity, from the Donor, were identified from the Inquiry's review of the charity's financial records."
According to the Charity Commission, "Fashion for Relief, which has been removed from the register of charities, was set up for the purpose of poverty relief and advancing health and education by making grants to charities or other organisations and by giving resources directly to those affected."
The commission's inquiry also found that "unauthorised payments totalling £290,000 for consultancy services had been made to a trustee, Bianka Hellmich, which was in breach of the charity's constitution," although they did note in their decision that she had "proactively proposed repaying these funds" which amount to around $388,000.
As for Campbell, she has stated that she was "extremely concerned" by the findings.
"I was not in control of my charity," the 54-year-old told the Associated Press while being named a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters at the French Ministry for Culture Sept. 26. "I put the control in the hands of a legal employer."
She added, "We are investigating to find out what and how, and everything I do and every penny I ever raised goes to charity."
E! News reached out to reps for Campbell, Hellmich and Chou for comment on the inquiry but has not heard back.
Fashion for Relief was dissolved and removed from the Register of Charities on March 15.
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (633)
Related
- Burt Bacharach, composer of classic songs, will have papers donated to Library of Congress
- College in Detroit suspends in-person classes because of pro-Palestinian camp
- Storm-weary Texas battered again as powerful storm, strong winds kill 1, cause widespread damage
- OpenAI forms safety committee as it starts training latest artificial intelligence model
- Arizona Supreme Court declines emergency request to extend ballot ‘curing’ deadline
- European-Japanese climate research satellite launched from California aboard SpaceX rocket
- Veterans who served at secret base say it made them sick, but they can't get aid because the government won't acknowledge they were there
- Kathie Lee Gifford Reveals Surprising Way Howard Stern Feud Ended
- Georgia remains part of College Football Playoff bracket projection despite loss
- Turbulence hits Qatar Airways flight to Dublin, injuring 12 people
Ranking
- He failed as a service dog. But that didn't stop him from joining the police force
- Disaster declaration issued for April snowstorm that caused millions in damage in Maine
- Stewart-Haas Racing to close NASCAR teams at end of 2024 season, says time to ‘pass the torch’
- The Daily Money: Americans bailing on big cities
- Judith Jamison, a dancer both eloquent and elegant, led Ailey troupe to success over two decades
- Father and son drown as dad attempted to save him at Lake Anna in Virginia, police say
- 'General Hospital' star Johnny Wactor's ex tells killer 'you shot the wrong guy' in emotional video
- Prosecutors build their case at bribery trial of Sen. Bob Menendez with emails and texts
Recommendation
-
Arkansas governor unveils $102 million plan to update state employee pay plan
-
What is matcha? What to know about the green drink taking over coffeeshops.
-
Minnesota Timberwolves avoid NBA playoffs sweep against Dallas Mavericks
-
Reno police officer who accidentally shot suspect pulled trigger when hit by another officer’s Taser
-
Louisiana man kills himself and his 1-year-old daughter after a pursuit
-
See Lindsay Hubbard & Carl Radke's Vicious Post-Breakup Showdown in Summer House Reunion Trailer
-
Federal investigation of former Ohio House speaker ends with no charges filed
-
Body found after person went missing trying to swim from Virginia to Maryland, officials say