Naomi Campbell has successfully overturned a five-year prohibition on serving as a charity trustee, with judges determining that the supermodel was ignorant of significant wrongdoing at an organization she established and supervised for several years.
The ruling marks a legal victory for the 56-year-old model, who was disqualified from the role in 2024 following findings of mismanagement regarding funds at Fashion for Relief, the charity she founded.
The Charity Commission, the regulatory body for charities in England and Wales, had previously accused Campbell of misusing funds and abdicating her responsibilities, which led to the initial ban.
However, the court’s decision to lift the ban indicates that she was not directly aware of the serious misconduct that took place within the organization during her tenure.
I wonder if this sets a tricky precedent for other charity founders regarding their duty of care and supervision.
Finally some good news! It is refreshing to see the court recognize she wasn’t directly involved in the wrongdoing.
Interesting that she was deemed unaware of the misconduct. Does ignorance really absolve a founder of oversight responsibility?