Supermodel Naomi Campbell won a legal challenge Thursday to overturn a five-year ban on serving as a charity trustee in England and Wales.
A three-judge tribunal found that Campbell, 56, had been “deceived” by Bianka Hellmich, a fellow trustee in the anti-poverty charity Fashion for Relief, which hosted fundraising events in Cannes and London.
The Original Ruling
Two years ago, the Charity Commission, which registers and regulates charities in England and Wales, found “multiple instances of misconduct and/or mismanagement” at the charity. This included using charity funds to pay for Campbell’s stay at a five-star hotel in Cannes, as well as spa treatments, room service, and cigarettes. As a result, it imposed the ban on Campbell.
The Tribunal’s Decision
In its ruling, the tribunal confirmed there had been “serious misconduct and mismanagement” but concluded that the “failures in the management of the charity’s finances and the misuse of its funds” resulted from Hellmich’s conduct. These, it added, were “concealed” from the supermodel.
The judges found that Hellmich “used forged documents” and also deceived professional advisers and the Charity Commission. The judges also said that while Campbell shared responsibility for the charity failing to file its accounts on time, this did not mean she was unfit to be a charity trustee.
Campbell’s Defense
During the four-day hearing in June, Campbell said her “only mistake” was trusting Hellmich, who she alleged forged her signature and lied about her credentials as a charity lawyer.
“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,” Campbell said, telling the central London tribunal that she and the Charity Commission had been deceived.
The commission had opposed Campbell’s challenge and said the five-year ban should be upheld.
The Background
A probe into Fashion for Relief was opened by the commission in 2021, with the charity dissolved and removed from the register of charities in 2024.
The Bottom Line
Naomi Campbell has successfully overturned a five-year ban on serving as a charity trustee. A tribunal found she was deceived by fellow trustee Bianka Hellmich, who used forged documents and concealed financial mismanagement. The tribunal confirmed serious misconduct occurred but placed responsibility on Hellmich, not Campbell. The Charity Commission had opposed the appeal.
My Opinion
Naomi Campbell trusted the wrong person. That is the heart of this case, and the tribunal saw it clearly. Bianka Hellmich forged documents, lied about her credentials, and deceived the Charity Commission. Campbell’s name was on the charity, but the fraud was not hers.
That said, being deceived is not the same as being blameless. Campbell was a trustee. She had a responsibility to know where the money was going. When charity funds paid for five-star hotels, spa treatments, and cigarettes, she should have asked questions. She did not. That is a failure of oversight, even if it was not a failure of character.
The overturned ban is the right outcome. Campbell has spent decades doing charitable work, and one bad partnership should not define her legacy. But the case is also a reminder that celebrity charities often run on star power rather than proper governance. Campbell trusted a lawyer who turned out to be a fraud. The next celebrity who lends their name to a cause should ask more questions — not just about the mission, but about the people running it.
