Supermodel Naomi Campbell told a tribunal on Tuesday, "I'm here because I have been deceived," and asked for questions to be "respectful" during the opening exchanges in her evidence in an appeal against a charity ban.
Background of the Case
In 2024, the 56-year-old was disqualified from being a charity trustee for five years after the Charity Commission – which regulates charities in England and Wales – 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 was one of three of the charity's trustees to be disqualified as a result of the investigation, with Bianka Hellmich disqualified for nine years, and Veronica Chou for four years.
Campbell's Testimony
On Tuesday, Campbell gave evidence to a tribunal in central London in an effort to overturn the ban. The model said her "only mistake" was trusting Hellmich, who she alleges forged her signature and lied about her credentials as a charity lawyer. The tribunal has previously heard claims from Campbell's legal team that from 2016 to 2021, Hellmich appeared to have been paid in excess of £500,000 from charity funds.
Campbell told the tribunal: "I did not do a check on Bianca (Hellmich) – when I'm introduced to a lawyer, I assume they are acting within the law." She rejected a suggestion that she should have checked, saying Hellmich "came across as a lawyer" and worked in "official positions." "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," Ms Campbell said.
Exchanges with the Charity Commission
Judge Joe Neville intervened during exchanges between Faisel Sadiq, for the Charity Commission, and Campbell as he cross-examined her. Campbell said: "I'm here because I have been deceived, you are here because you have been deceived, so let's both be respectful to each other." After a number of interruptions from the supermodel, Mr Sadiq said: "It would be very helpful if you answer the questions I have asked." Judge Neville later said: "Not everything Mr Sadiq says is a challenge." "Yes but it comes across as a challenge," Ms Campbell said. The judge then picked up Mr Sadiq for being "unnecessarily challenging" two questions later.
Campbell's Defense
Campbell told the tribunal that Fashion For Relief was set up in 2005 in the US and did not "have a problem" before it became a registered charity in the UK. In written submissions on behalf of Campbell, Andrew Westwood KC, said: "Ms Hellmich held herself out as a lawyer with the expertise to handle the charity's legal, regulatory and financial functions and advised Ms Campbell that she could properly confine herself to a limited role assisting with the charity's fundraising efforts and strategy – in effect, acting as a figurehead – while Ms Hellmich assumed responsibility for those regulatory and financial functions." He later said: "Ms Hellmich carried out a long-term and consistent scheme of mismanagement and deception in relation to the running of the charity and she concealed the same from Ms Campbell and others."
Charity Commission's Argument
In his written submissions, Mr Sadiq argued that "it was not legally open" to Campbell to "abdicate" her responsibilities as a trustee and simply act as a figurehead. Pressed by Mr Sadiq on whether she should have done more due diligence, Campbell told the tribunal: "I trusted the wrong person, what more do you want? You trusted her too because you were in communication with her until we let you know that you were deceived."
The forgery and fraud alleged against Hellmich has been referred to the police by Campbell's team and by the Charity Commission, the tribunal has heard. The tribunal continues.
