Naomi Campbell: Supermodel, philanthropist, and now… investigative subject? Yes, that’s right. The catwalk queen has found herself in a bit of hot financial water, and it’s got nothing to do with walking in 6-inch heels.
So, what’s all the fuss about? Well, on Thursday (September 26), Britain’s Charity Commission decided to drop a bombshell report, suggesting that Naomi, who apparently isn’t just a fan of high fashion but also “high expenses,” had some questionable spending habits while running her Fashion for Relief organization. This charity, mind you, was supposed to be raising funds for noble causes like saving the planet and helping humanity. Sounds like a job for Wonder Woman, but apparently, Naomi was more of a “spa treatment and room service” kinda gal. Oops.
The report, however, didn’t stop there. It accused Naomi and her team of using their charity perks for flights, fancy hotels, and (wait for it) cigarettes. Because nothing says “saving the planet” like a pack of Marlboro Reds and a mojito by the hotel pool, right?
These expenses, according to the official snoop squad, included “spa treatments, room service, and purchases of cigarettes and hotel products.” You know, the essentials of any good humanitarian effort.
But here’s where it gets really juicy: From April 2016 to July 2022, the charity spent a whopping 91.5% of its budget… on things other than charity! I mean, who needs to save the environment when you can have a luxurious facial instead?
Sadly, Fashion for Relief met its fashionable demise back in March 2024, presumably not in a couture gown, but in financial shambles. And as a parting gift, Naomi has been banned from running a charity in England and Wales for five years. Her co-trustees, Bianka Hellmich and Veronica Chou, got their own time-outs, with bans of nine and four years, respectively. It’s like they were handed detention slips, but with fewer school desks and more cocktail menus.
But hold on! Naomi isn’t going down without a fight. She spoke to the Associated Press to give her side of the story, where she emphatically denied any mischief. “I was not in control of my charity,” she declared. (Which sounds like something you might say after one too many glasses of charity-funded champagne.)
In true Naomi style, she added that she was “extremely concerned” about these accusations. You can almost picture her doing that supermodel pout while saying it. She explained that she put control in the hands of a “legal employer.” So, basically, Naomi was just the face of the operation. A very glamorous face, no doubt.
Rest assured, she’s promised to investigate the situation herself. And if her runway walk is any indication, this investigation will be fierce. “Everything I do, and every penny I ever raised, goes to charity,” she said. But maybe next time, someone should just double-check if “charity” means spa days in her dictionary.
And that’s the Naomi Campbell charity saga for now!