Naomi Campbell has won her appeal against a five-year ban that prevented her from serving as a charity trustee, after a London tribunal found that serious misconduct at the charity she founded had been concealed from her. The ruling overturns the ban and means Campbell can once again take part in charitable fundraising and serve as a charity trustee.
The decision follows an investigation into Fashion for Relief, the organization Campbell founded in 2005 to raise money for humanitarian causes through fashion shows and other high-profile events. The Charity Commission removed the organization from its register in 2024 after finding multiple instances of financial misconduct and mismanagement. Campbell was subsequently disqualified from acting as a charity trustee for five years.
Tribunal Finds Campbell Was Not Responsible for Misused Funds
Naomi Campbell Wins Appeal Against Charity Ban in the U.K., and Can Start Fundraising Once Again https://t.co/LmcvyqrYDn
— WWD (@wwd) October 5, 2026
The First-Tier Tribunal agreed that there had been “serious misconduct and mismanagement” at Fashion for Relief but found that the inappropriate use of the charity’s resources had been concealed from Campbell.
The tribunal specifically ruled that Campbell was not responsible for inappropriate spending connected to a 2018 stay at a five-star hotel near Cannes, France. The Charity Commission had found that charity funds were used for expenses including spa treatments, cigarettes and room service during the stay.
Campbell had maintained that she was unaware the charity’s funds were being used for those expenses. She also said she had been deceived by another trustee over unauthorized payments made by the organization.
The tribunal accepted her position, finding that Campbell “was not responsible for the inappropriate use of the charity’s resources or any unjustified expenditure” during the hotel stay.
Fashion for Relief Faced Serious Financial Problems
The findings against Fashion for Relief were extensive. The charity had been under investigation since 2021 over concerns about its management and use of funds before it was dissolved in March 2024.
Among the issues identified by the Charity Commission was an approximately £290,000 ($385,000) payment to a lawyer who was also acting as a trustee. The payment was described as unauthorized consultancy fees.
The regulator also found that just 8.5% of Fashion for Relief’s overall expenditure had gone toward charitable grants. The organization had been established to raise money for humanitarian causes and help people experiencing poverty.
The Charity Commission said its regulatory intervention ultimately helped protect funds belonging to other charities. According to the regulator, almost £250,000 owed to other organizations was recovered.
Campbell Said She Was Deceived
Campbell had challenged the Charity Commission’s findings, arguing that she had been misled by people involved with the charity. She later conducted an investigation into what had happened and alleged that a fake email account had been created to impersonate her in communications with her lawyers.
Her legal team argued that this contributed to Campbell being unable to properly defend herself against the allegations surrounding Fashion for Relief.
Following the tribunal’s decision, Campbell’s lawyer Michelle Duncan described the ruling as a “significant vindication” for the model. Duncan said the tribunal had found Campbell’s account to be truthful and concluded that her conduct as a trustee had been honest and professional.
The tribunal did, however, identify areas in which Campbell carried responsibility. It found that she had ultimate responsibility for the charity’s failure to maintain proper minutes and file its accounts on time. The judges concluded that those failures did not make her unfit to act as a charity trustee.
Naomi Campbell Welcomes the Decision
5/21/17: Kendall, Naomi Campbecll and Bella Hadid at Fashion For Relief
Photographed by Tomás Herold https://t.co/jhBKCzY4R5— Kendall Updates (@knjdaily) May 22, 2017
Campbell said she was grateful to the tribunal and judges for hearing her side of the case and examining the evidence.
“Giving back has been part of who I am,” Campbell said, adding that having her commitment to charitable work questioned had “hurt deeply.” She said she could now return to what mattered most to her: supporting the people and communities she had wanted to serve.
The ruling marks a significant reversal for Naomi Campbell, who had faced a five-year ban following the Charity Commission’s investigation. The appeal does not dispute that serious problems existed at Fashion for Relief, but it establishes that Campbell was not responsible for the inappropriate spending identified by the tribunal.
Charity Commission Reviews the Ruling
The Charity Commission said it was considering whether the tribunal’s decision had “any wider implications” for its work.
The regulator had previously taken action to protect Fashion for Relief’s remaining assets and ensure money owed to other charities was recovered. Its investigation into the organization remains an important part of the background to the case, even though Campbell’s personal disqualification has now been overturned.
For Naomi Campbell, the ruling clears the ban that had prevented her from acting as a charity trustee and opens the door for her return to fundraising work. The decision also draws a distinction between the serious failures at Fashion for Relief and Campbell’s own conduct, finding that the misconduct and misuse of funds had been concealed from her.
Featured image: Magicinfoto/Deposit Photos
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