Inside Naomi Campbell's Sketchy Side

With the recent news of model Tatjana Patitz's tragic death, we are reminded of that veritable quintet of supermodels who reigned supreme in the '90s. Patitz, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, and Naomi Campbell famously posed together for the iconic Vogue supermodel cover in 1990. While all the models went on to experience phenomenal success, Campbell is arguably the one who has remained relevant across generations, continuing to generate headlines to this day. And with great power comes great shade.

Ever since she first launched onto the fashion scene, Campbell has been a mainstay of the tabloid circuit. Her controversies are vast, as is her alleged ability to throw shade. However, as Refinery29 argues, Campbell receives far more bad publicity than her supermodel peers due to being a powerful Black woman in a white-centric industry. At a time when the catwalks favored white models, Campbell was a pioneer — extraordinarily beautiful, uncompromising, and, ultimately, a threat to the myopically-minded establishment. As Lee Daniels told Vogue, there's more to the model than the salacious gossip that has followed her around for decades: "You think of Naomi Campbell and you see these things, you hear these stories. Then I was able to... know the woman behind the story, and fall in love with her."

In her career spanning over 30 years, Campbell has courted much controversy and criticism, not all of which is merited. Life hasn't been a catwalk in the park for the stunning supermodel: let's take a deep dive inside Naomi Campbell's sketchy side.

Like a number of other public figures, Naomi Campbell was listed in pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's infamous little black book, per The Telegraph. While appearing in the book doesn't necessarily mean that someone was aware of his crimes, Campbell was photographed alongside his closest confidante, convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, on numerous occasions. One of Epstein's victims, Virginia Giuffre, alleged on Twitter that Campbell was not only aware of Maxwell's crimes, but was her friend. "She was Maxwell's BFF- There is no way in hell that she didn't know what was happening in front of her own eyes," she wrote above a photo of herself, aged just 17, with Campbell and Maxwell. "They were all aware of Epstein & Maxwell's op- didn't go at any length to hide it either." In a separate tweet, she claimed that Campbell witnessed her abuse.

Addressing the allegations that she was complicit in the abuse of underage girls, the supermodel posted a video, entitled, "A Message From Naomi," on her YouTube channel. While Campbell acknowledged that she knew Epstein, since he would frequently sit in the front row of Victoria's Secret fashion shows, she insisted that she was not aware of the ongoing abuse. "What he's done is indefensible," she stated. "And when I'd heard of what he'd done, it sickened me to my stomach. Just like everybody else I've had my fair share of sexual predators... I stand with the victims."

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

In 2005, Naomi Campbell founded the charity Fashion For Relief to provide aid for those whose lives were devastated by Hurricane Katrina, per its official website. However, in 2021, the organization's finances were called into questions.

As The Guardian reported at the time, The Charity Commission for England began probing FFR over the trustees' alarmingly high level of expenditure in consultancy and travel fees, totalling over $100,000 in 2019 alone. There was also a marked delay in filing the accounts, which the charity attributed to the Coronavirus pandemic.

According to the Daily Mail, lavish parties and events were hosted on the charity's behalf. A party held for the British Museum, for instance, ended up amounting to almost $2 million in expenses. "The reality is that the FFR donations are a fraction of the money raised," Artist Pierre Musa, who had previously donated to the charity, told the outlet. "Instead the money has gone on extravagant events and 'other expenses.'" Musa claimed that the donor list features numerous billionaires whose philanthropic intentions are dubious. But those close to Campbell have denied that she's involved in any sketchy deals, noting that it's not unusual for A-list galas to rack up huge bills. "That's how these huge events work, none of it has come from public money," an insider explained. "Without the input from sponsors, the worthy causes wouldn't have received any money at all."

Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia, was prosecuted for crimes against humanity at The Hague in 2010. Naomi Campbell ended up being dragged into proceedings when it was alleged that she received blood diamonds from the warlord. Blood diamonds are diamonds sourced from war-ravaged countries, used to fund atrocities. A photo of Campbell posing alongside Taylor and Mia Farrow, who were attending a party at Nelson Mandela's house in 1997, was used as evidence in the trial, per The Guardian. The photo is of particular contention because it's been alleged that Taylor was in South Africa at the time to procure weapons in exchange for blood diamonds, per ABC News.

Speaking to ABC News before the trial, Campbell insisted that she did not receive any diamonds from Taylor. But Farrow contradicted her claims. "She said during the night, some men had knocked at her door and she, half asleep, had opened the door and it was representatives of President Charles Taylor and that they had given her a huge diamond," Farrow recalled. "We were like, 'oh my gosh.'" However, Taylor said that the diamonds he gifted Campbell were not blood diamonds.

Although Campbell's links to Taylor were sketchy, she eventually agreed to cooperate with authorities and testified at the trial. During her testimony, she admitted that she did receive diamonds from Taylor, but had no idea they were blood diamonds, nor where they came from. Taylor was convicted of war crimes and sentenced to 50 years in 2012, per CNN.

Now more than ever before, women are having children past the age of 40. In 2021, Naomi Campbell, then aged 50, welcomed her first child. In an interview with Vogue, the supermodel spoke in sweet admiration of her daughter, proudly detailing the ways in which she already resembles her famous mom. "She is the biggest blessing I could ever imagine," she enthused. "It's the best thing I've ever done." Things took an unfortunate turn, however, when Campbell was asked to divulge the circumstances surrounding her daughter's conception and birth (admittedly, such questions were rather inappropriate to begin with). "She wasn't adopted — she's my child," Campbell replied.

Per The Independent, the model's remark caused an outcry, as folks deemed her to be belittling adoptive parents and children. On Twitter, many users condemned Campbell for her seemingly problematic response, with parents highlighting that their adoptive children are still theirs. "Dear @NaomiCampbell, meet Nomi. She IS adopted, and she IS my child," tweeted one adoptive parent, alongside a photo of their baby. Another user wrote, "Say she is your biological child, but don't dismiss the fact that adopting a child makes them yours." 

Numerous celebs have adopted kids, which they love as much as they would biological children, so Campbell's statement was rather insensitive to say the least, even if she didn't mean to cause any offense.

Throughout her career, Naomi Campbell has been prone to violent outbursts. As The Independent notes, she has been accused of assault no less than eight times. The allegations date back to 1998, when she was accused of choking and shaking her then assistant, before hitting her in the head with a phone, per the BBC. Campbell pleaded guilty, though she was spared jail time.

In 2007, she once again pleaded guilty, this time to assaulting her maid, Ana Scolavino, per The New York Times. She threw a cellphone at Scolavino's head, resulting in her being admitted to hospital where she received four stitches. However, Campbell said that she didn't mean to hurt her. "That was an accident because I did not intend to hit her... I am sorry about that," she said. The following year, she was fined $4,600 and sentenced to community service for assaulting two police officers at Heathrow Airport, per CNN. She was also banned from flying with British Airways.

Opening up about her troubled past to Oprah, Campbell acknowledged that she had an anger problem and immediately felt guilty in the aftermath of her outbursts. "I feel remorseful," she said. "I feel ashamed. I feel for them. [I think,] 'What have I done to them?' If I've hurt them." Campbell also noted that there were a couple of false assault accusations against her; she was accused of punching an NBC camera and assaulting a chauffeur, both in 2010. She claimed both allegations were fabrications.

Despite once fronting a PETA anti-fur campaign in 1997, Naomi Campbell seemingly backtracked on her support for animal rights when she was snapped wearing fur on multiple occasions. According to WWD (via Vogue), Campbell was photographed wearing a fur coat as part of an ad campaign for fur designer Dennis Basso in 2009.

In 2014, she incurred the wrath of animal rights activists when she showcased some gifted Givenchy items, including a snakeskin bag and furs, on Instagram, per Cosmopolitan. Her fans expressed their disappointment that the erstwhile PETA spokeswoman would proudly show off products made from animal skins and furs. Ingrid Newkirk, the president of PETA, has condemned Campbell for her continued decision to wear fur. "The fact that Naomi Campbell is known worldwide for turning her back on her stated position against fur — she doesn't command respect," Newkirk told The Times. "I don't know anyone who would say, 'Oh it's all right, it must be ethically acceptable [to wear fur] because she does it.'"

As Page Six reported in 2018, animal rights advocates staged a protest outside a new concept store from Dolce and Gabbana, who frequently used fur in their designs (they have since ditched fur). When Campbell arrived, she reportedly flipped the bird at the activists. Her representatives noted to Page Six that she wasn't wearing fur.

Speaking of Dolce and Gabbana, the Italian designers generated headlines and swift condemnation in 2015 when they made some rather alarming remarks about same-sex parents. Despite both being gay, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana claimed that same-sex couples having children goes against nature, per HuffPost. Moreover, they claimed that babies born through IVF are "children of chemistry, synthetic children. Uteruses for rent, semen chosen from a catalog." Big yikes. Understandably, there was immense public outrage, with Elton John, who has two children with his husband David Furnish, calling for a boycott.

Despite widespread denunciation of the designers, Naomi Campbell seemingly continued to support Dolce and Gabbana, walking in their fashion show in 2018, per People. Subsequently, she was heavily criticized on social media. "So are we gonna casually ignore the fact @dolcegabbana is pretty unethical with their homophobic comments?" commented a fan on Instagram.

As the Daily Mail reports, Campbell faced further backlash in 2022 when she attended fashion events in Qatar, despite the nation being notoriously anti-LGBTQ+. Campaigners argued that the decision was antithetical to Campbell's long-time support of LGBTQ+ rights. "Qatar uses these platforms to launder its reputation. Is Naomi willing to say something when she's [there] because the LGBT community is not OK?" asked Qatari LGBTQ+ advocate Dr. Nas Mohamed. However, Campbell's reps said that the backlash was misguided, arguing that her high profile appearances in Qatar would ultimately help effect change for the LGBTQ+ community.

Long before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin was a highly contentious figure, renowned for, among other things, his widespread clampdown on LGBTQ+ rights across Russia and criminalizing dissent. Nevertheless, Naomi Campbell interviewed Putin for GQ in 2011.

The interview was lighthearted, with the supermodel asking Putin about his health and fitness regime. She also praised the Russian leader for his supposedly fit physique. The conversation grew increasingly cringey, not to mention creepy, when Putin began discussing his love of girls. In particular, Putin lauded the efforts of a group of female students who posed for him in lingerie, as part of an erotic calendar to mark his 58th birthday. In retaliation, human rights protestors banded together to create a second, decidedly un-erotic calendar, wearing tape over their mouths to illustrate Russia's suppression of dissidents. "It's fashionable to criticize people in power," Putin said with regards to the second calendar. "If you come out in support of someone like me, you're going to be accused of trying to ingratiate yourself. The girls in the erotic calendar were courageous."

As the Evening Standard noted, Campbell deliberately avoided asking Putin any politically charged questions. Meanwhile, Jezebel heavily criticized the model for keeping the interview so airy, noting that she failed to press him on issues such as his alleged mistress (who is over 30 years his junior), corruption, or the invasion of Chechnya.

During a 2016 appearance on talk show "Skavlan," Tyra Banks chronicled the history of her fraught relationship with Naomi Campbell. When she first arrived in Paris as a young model, Banks found herself immediately being compared to Campbell, which is arguably a racist microaggression. Campbell took the comparisons badly and thus made Banks feel unwelcome. "It wasn't fair to Naomi," she said. "But her response, to this day I'm very scared of her... Some of the lowest times of my life dealing with that."

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Banks elaborated on this difficult period in her life. "It wasn't a rivalry," Banks said. "I'm very sensitive to that word because a rivalry is between two equals to me whereas one was very dominant, she was a supermodel, and I was just some new girl that had got on a plane from Paris." She revealed that she would cry everyday because Campbell, whom she had long idolized, was targeting her. "I didn't understand that as a young girl. Like, 'Why is she doing this? This is so evil.'" Reflecting on the situation as an adult, she said that she blamed the fashion industry itself, as opposed to Campbell, for the acrimony, highlighting the tendency of fashion execs to pit women against each other.

Although Campbell eventually apologized to Banks, she reignited the feud in 2020 when she reposted an article on her Instagram Story (via E!) that branded Banks, rather than Campbell, "the real mean girl."

Most A-list celebs lead exceptionally comfy lives, so the least we can expect from them is to offer basic courtesy to folks working regular jobs. Unfortunately, many stars didn't get that memo, and if rumors are to be believed, Naomi Campbell is among them.

The supermodel has long been accused of mistreating service staff and retail workers. In 2001, she was banned from the London store Voyage after verbally berating the staff and allegedly pulling the old "Don't you know who I am?" when they didn't immediately let her inside, per ABC News. In 2015, the Daily Mail (via Heat World) reported that Campbell threw shade at two staff members working at the Louis Vuitton store in London. The model was allegedly irked that the workers decided to take the elevator at the same time as her, proceeding to refer to them as "randoms." Eesh. "She continued to repeat the word until they were asked to leave by her companion," a witness claimed. But Campbell's reps claimed the story was a total fabrication.

Moreover, Campbell has been accused of being unkind to restaurant workers. Speaking to the New York Post, Michael Cecchi-Azzolina, who is the maitre d' at a swanky New York restaurant, claimed that Campbell was always rude to staff when she frequented the restaurant. "She was someone we dreaded coming in," Cecchi-Azzolina said. "She needed a lot of attention. She sent back her food quite a few times."

Although he is widely regarded as a monster now, Harvey Weinstein wielded an incredible amount of power in his Miramax heyday. After she won a Golden Globe in 2013, Jennifer Lawrence joked, "Harvey, thank you for killing whoever you had to kill to get me up here today." Even Meryl Streep, a decidedly unproblematic figure, once called Weinstein "god," per HuffPost. (She's since walked that back.) Accordingly, Naomi Campbell has been called out over her alleged friendship with the convicted sex offender. Like innumerable A-listers, she was snapped posing alongside the movie mogul on multiple occasions, per the Daily Mail. Weinstein even attended her 40th birthday party, where he almost died due to an incident with his gastric band.

In an interview with The Guardian, Campbell addressed her association with Weinstein, arguing that tabloids' obsession with "outing" her as a friend of predators is symptomatic of racism. As Campbell points out, many of the aforementioned white celebs who were snapped with Weinstein — even praised him — have scarcely been critiqued by the right-wing press. "I've met thousands of people at events and been photographed with them – there are pictures of me with everyone," she said. "Are you going to single me out, when there are hundreds of people pictured with the same people, who you don't care to mention?... We all know what that's about." She compared the press' treatment of her to that of Raheem Sterling, Lewis Hamilton, Serena Williams, and Meghan Markle — all Black celebrities who have been unfairly targeted.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the

Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website

or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

The fashion industry is renowned for its promotion of unrealistic body ideals and, indeed, body negativity. Therefore, it's understandable, albeit unfortunate, that such ideation becomes ingrained in the models themselves. On numerous occasions, Naomi Campbell has espoused extremely low calorie diets.

In a 2013 chat with Heat (via The Telegraph), she promoted the idea of fasting once a week. Years later, in 2019, she appeared on British talk show "Lorraine," where she elaborated on her habit of intermittent fasting. She revealed that she forgoes food entirely for a couple of days a week, solely living on water or juice. However, she insisted that she doesn't starve herself. The model made similar claims the following year. According to The Sun, Campbell told an interviewer that she only eats one meal a day, save for Sunday, when she treats herself to desserts. "I eat my lunch," she said. "Lunch is my dinner, because I really only eat once a day." 

While intermittent fasting has gained popularity in recent years, there are still a lot of questions about the supposed benefits. A 2022 study by the University of Toronto found there may be a connection between intermittent fasting and disordered eating behaviors. It's unfortunate that Campbell has lauded the benefits of such diets on numerous occasions. But as Harper's Bazaar notes, the '90s supermodels are a product of a particularly toxic body negative era, one in which harmful fad diets and unrealistically thin bodies were promoted, even worshiped.

If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who is, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).