Supermodel Naomi Campbell made a “mistake” when she trusted a director of her charity who claimed she was an expert lawyer, a tribunal has heard.
The 56-year-old was disqualified from being a charity trustee for five years in 2024 after the charity regulator found serious mismanagement of funds at Fashion For Relief, which she founded.
This included using charity funds to pay for her stay at a five-star hotel in Cannes, France, as well as spa treatments, room service and cigarettes.
Campbell is appealing against the ban, and has claimed she was a victim of “deliberate deception” by another trustee, Bianka Hellmich.
Ms Hellmich was banned from being a charity trustee for nine years as a result of the watchdog investigation, while fellow trustee Veronica Chou was disqualified for four years.
The supermodel alleges Ms Hellmich lied about her credentials as a charity lawyer and forged Campbell’s signature.
On Thursday, Andrew Westwood KC, for Campbell, told a central London tribunal: “It is now clear that Ms Campbell’s trust and reliance upon Ms Hellmich was a mistake, but it was an honest one.
“Ms Campbell acted in good faith and derived no personal benefit.”
Mr Westwood argued Campbell “had legitimate reason to believe” Ms Hellmich “possessed the necessary expertise, skill and prudence to manage the financial, legal and regulatory aspects of the charity”.
In written submissions on behalf of the Charity Commission, which regulates charities in England and Wales, Faisel Sadiq said: “The misconduct and/or mismanagement arose as a consequence of Ms Campbell having completely abdicated or neglected all of her duties to the charity.”
Mr Westwood said in his closing statement: “Ms Campbell’s case is that this is not fair or accurate.”
He cited Campbell’s evidence to the hearing on Tuesday, when she said she worked very hard for the charity, which was registered in the UK in 2015 and closed in 2024, travelling all over the world and having regular meetings in her role as a trustee.
“These are not the actions of someone who has ‘totally abdicated responsibility’,” Mr Westwood told the hearing.
“It is Ms Campbell’s case that she never took a penny from the charity.”
Mr Westwood said Campbell has always insisted she would have covered her expenditure herself if she had known charity funds were to be used.
“In fact, she used very substantial sums of her own money to further the objectives of the charity,” Mr Westwood said.
The tribunal has heard Campbell believed her hotel stay in Cannes was being covered by a friend and charity donor, Fernando Sulichin.
The forgery and fraud alleged against Ms Hellmich has been referred to the police by Campbell’s team and by the Charity Commission, the tribunal has heard.
The hearing continues.
