Full Breakdown
Naomi Campbell Overturns Charity Trustee Ban
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Tribunal Rules in Favor of Naomi Campbell
On October 1, 2026, a First-Tier Tribunal in London concluded that supermodel Naomi Campbell had been “deceived” by fellow trustee Bianka Hellmich and overturned the five-year prohibition that barred her from serving as a charity trustee in England and Wales.
Background & Context
Campbell founded Fashion for Relief in 2005 to raise funds for disaster-relief efforts. The charity was removed from the Charity Commission’s register in 2024 after the regulator identified “serious mismanagement and/or misconduct,” including the use of charitable money for personal expenses. Campbell and two other trustees were disqualified in 2024; Hellmich received a nine-year ban and Veronica Chou a four-year ban.
Timeline
- 2005 – Fashion for Relief established.
- 2023 – Charity wound up and removed from the register.
- 2024 – Charity Commission imposes five-year trustee ban on Campbell.
- June 2026 – Four-day tribunal hearing in central London.
- October 1, 2026 – Tribunal issues ruling overturning Campbell’s ban.
Data & Statistics
- Only 8.5 % of the charity’s total expenditure went to charitable grants during a six-year period beginning in 2016.
- £290,000 in unauthorised payments were made to Hellmich for alleged consultancy fees.
- Documentary evidence showed €4,386 (£3,750) of hotel-related charges in 2018, including dinner room service, spa treatments and cigarettes.
- Fashion for Relief raised £4.8 million over five years, but partner organisations received only about 10 % of proceeds.
Official Statements & Responses
- The Charity Commission opposed the appeal, maintaining that trustees cannot delegate away their legal responsibilities and that Campbell had “completely abdicated” her duties.
- Faisel Sadiq, counsel for the Commission, described Campbell as “an entirely unreliable witness” and said her busy lifestyle did not excuse the failures.
Criticism & Opposition
The Commission’s position—that Campbell’s reliance on Hellmich did not absolve her of fiduciary responsibility—highlights tension between celebrity trustees and regulatory expectations. Critics argue that delegating oversight to a single adviser does not satisfy the legal duty to ensure proper governance and financial control.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I don’t look at it as a failure, I look at it as me trusting someone that I knew, someone that was a lawyer,” — Naomi Campbell
- “I trusted the wrong person, what more do you want?” — Ms Campbell
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the proportion of funds directed to charitable purposes: one report cites 8.5 % of total expenditure on grants, while another notes that only 10 % of proceeds reached partner organisations. Neither source provides a detailed breakdown of the remaining funds.
What’s Next
With the ban lifted, Campbell is now eligible to serve again as a trustee of UK charities. Hellmich’s nine-year disqualification and Chou’s four-year ban remain in effect, and no further appeals have been announced. The tribunal’s finding of deception may prompt the Charity Commission to review oversight mechanisms for high-profile trustees.