By Evridiki Fatolia,
The recent finding of problems in the handling of money and activities of the charity operated by Naomi Campbell, the famous supermodel who was worldwide famous in past decades, has sparked outrage. Naomi Campbell’s name became involved in a new scandal when her charity, Fashion for Relief, which she created in 2005, was deemed “poorly run” with “inadequate financial management” on Thursday. According to the Guardian, “luxury hotel rooms, flights, spa treatments, personal safety, and cigarettes for Campbell” cost tens of thousands of pounds. Among the charges were the execution of the bill in a hotel room costing 3,000 euros per night and the payment of 4,000 euros for personal security in Cannes.
The firm reportedly paid £290,000 in unlawful consultant fees to the model’s co-manager, Bianka Hellmich, as well as £26,000 in annual travel expenses. Hellmich was barred from serving as a trustee for nine years and remitted all fees to the Charities Commission in April 2023. Veronica Chou, another charity commissioner, has also received a four-year ban. In one case, the study states that Fashion for Relief raised £375,000 at a Save the Children fundraising event in 2017, but did not make the payment to the organization until nearly six years later in 2023.
The Charities Commission, which registers and manages charities in England and Wales, conducted a three-year investigation that turned up evidence of financial impropriety and showed that, of the millions of dollars raised by the well-known model and her organization, only a small portion —that is, only 8.5% of the total spending of the charity— was actually donated to charitable causes. She was barred from charitable work for five years after the disclosures and the ensuing controversy. She claimed she had no idea what was happening because she wasn’t the organization’s manager.
“I didn’t have control over my charity, I put control in the hands of a legitimate employer,” she said in response to a question “and we’re researching to find out what and how, and whatever money I’ve ever raised goes to charity,” she added without controlling her tears.
This is just another example of a celebrity taking advantage of their power for a bad cause. It is another case of fame being exploited instead of used for the greater good. Time and time again the rich and powerful who can truly make a change in this world for the less fortunate, are the ones adding to the damage.
References
- Naomi Campbell banned from being charity trustee. The Guardian. Available here
- Tearful Naomi Campbell breaks her silence after being banned from trustee role over charity scandal. The Daily Mail. Available here
