Naomi Campbell is fighting back against a five-year ban that stopped her from serving as a trustee, insisting she was the victim of “fraud and deception” carried out by a fellow charity official.
Speaking at a tribunal in London, the supermodel accused attorney and former co-trustee Bianka Hellmich of impersonating her using a fake email address and running a long-term scheme that allegedly mismanaged funds from Fashion for Relief, the charity Campbell founded to support global humanitarian causes.
According to the BBC, Campbell received the five-year ban in 2024 after regulators found serious financial issues within the organization. However, she continues to deny knowingly misusing any charitable donations.
Fashion for Relief was created by Campbell to bring together the fashion industry in support of causes such as poverty relief, education, healthcare, and disaster response. Over time, it became known for high-profile charity events featuring major celebrities and luxury brands.
Campbell told the tribunal that the organization had operated properly when it was based in the United States, but problems only began after it was registered as a charity in the United Kingdom. The organization was eventually shut down in March 2024.
During her testimony, Campbell said her biggest mistake was trusting the wrong person to manage key responsibilities within the charity.
“I trusted the wrong person, what more do you want?” she told the court when questioned about whether she should have done more background checks on Hellmich.
She also argued that regulators themselves had previously communicated extensively with her co-trustee before any wrongdoing was identified.
“You trusted her, too,” Campbell said, addressing the Charity Commission directly.
Campbell’s lawyer, Andrew Westwood KC, told the tribunal that Hellmich allegedly hid a long-running pattern of deception and financial mismanagement. Hellmich, however, has denied all allegations, saying there is “absolutely no truth” to the claims.
The dispute follows a Charity Commission investigation launched in 2021, which examined financial records between 2016 and 2022. Investigators found that out of nearly £4.8 million raised, only 8.5% was actually distributed as charitable grants.
The report also raised concerns that charity funds were used for luxury expenses, including high-end hotels, spa treatments, cigarettes, room service, and private security costs.
Additional scrutiny came after UNICEF UK reportedly complained that Fashion for Relief promoted a fundraising partnership without properly transferring the expected funds.
Both Campbell’s legal team and the Charity Commission have now referred the case to police authorities, as legal proceedings over the appeal continue.
