Supermodel Naomi Campbell has publicly addressed accusations surrounding her involvement in a recent embezzlement scandal. While Campbell admitted to failures in her role as a trustee of the charity “Fashion for Relief,” she has been persistent to deny any financial misconduct or personal gain throughout its nine-year existence. 

The revelations come as Campbell faces a five-year ban from serving as a charity trustee following a Charity Commission inquiry that found serious mismanagement and misuse of funds. 

“When I first heard the news, I could not believe it,” Jimin Son (11), fashion enthusiast, said. “Naomi Campbell is generally regarded as one of the biggest role models for young aspiring fashion creatives. This was disappointing to hear.”

The inquiry, which was triggered in part by a 2022 report from UNICEF UK, highlighted multiple incidents of financial mismanagement, including spending on luxury hotels, spa treatments, personal security, and cigarettes for Campbell at charity events. Fashion for Relief raised £4.8 million from fundraisers between 2015 to 2020 but donated only 10 percent of the £4.8 million proceeds to partner charities, according to the Charity Commission’s findings. 

“If UNICEF officially stated that Campbell was involved in such a scandal, there must be some kind of basis to it,” Minseo Kim (12), pop culture enthusiast, said. “I think, especially given the recent allegations surrounding her involvement in the Diddy freak-off parties, it is quite possible that she had extrinsic motivations when starting the campaign.”

Fashion for Relief has since been removed from the Charity Commission’s register, with Save the Children and the Mayor’s Fund for London among organizations that eventually received some of the owed funds following the inquiry.