Naomi Campbell
Encyclopedia
Naomi Campbell is a British model. Scouted at the age of 15, she established herself among the top three most recognisable and in-demand models of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and she was one of six models of her generation declared "supermodel
s" by the fashion world. As the most famous black model of her time, Campbell has been outspoken throughout her career against the racial bias that exists in the fashion industry. Her personal life is widely reported, particularly her affairs with famous men—including boxer Mike Tyson
and actor Robert De Niro
—and several high-profile assault
convictions.
district of South London, the daughter of Jamaican-born dancer Valerie Morris. In accordance with her mother's wishes, Campbell has never met her father, who abandoned her mother when she was four months pregnant, and who went unnamed on her birth certificate. She took on the surname Campbell from her mother's second marriage. Her half-brother, Pierre, was born in 1986. Campbell is of Afro-Jamaican descent, as well as of Chinese Jamaican
ancestry through her paternal grandmother, who carried the family name Ming.
During her early years, Campbell lived in Rome, where her mother worked as a modern dance
r. Following their return to London, she was left in the care of her maternal grandmother, Ruby, while her mother travelled across Europe with the dance troupe Fantastica. At five years old, Campbell was enrolled at the Barbara Speake Stage School, and at the age of ten, she was accepted into the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, where she studied ballet.
's "Is This Love
". That same year, she played Snow White in two episodes of the Children's Film Foundation
television series The Chiffy Kids. At the age of twelve, she tap-danced in the music video for Culture Club
's "I'll Tumble 4 Ya
".
In 1986, Campbell was scouted by Beth Boldt, head of the Synchro model agency, while window-shopping in Covent Garden
. Her career quickly took off—in April, just before her sixteenth birthday, she appeared on the cover of British Elle
. Over the next few years, Campbell's success grew steadily: she walked the runway for such designers as Gianni Versace
, Azzedine Alaïa
, and Isaac Mizrahi
, and posed for such photographers as Peter Lindbergh
, Herb Ritts
, and Bruce Weber
. By the late 1980s, Campbell was part of a trio of models—the others being Christy Turlington
and Linda Evangelista
—known as the "Trinity", who became the most recognisable and in-demand models of their generation.
When faced with discrimination, Campbell received support from her friends; she later quoted Turlington and Evangelista as telling Dolce & Gabbana
, "If you don't use Naomi, you don't get us." In December 1987, she appeared on the cover of British Vogue
, as that publication's first black cover girl since 1966. In August 1988, she became the first black model to appear on the cover of French Vogue
, after her friend and mentor, designer Yves St. Laurent, threatened to withdraw his advertising from the magazine if it continued to refuse to place black models on its cover. The following year, she appeared on the cover of American Vogue
, which marked the first time a black model graced the front of the September issue, traditionally the year's biggest and most important issue.
In January 1990, Campbell, who was declared "the reigning megamodel of them all" by Interview
, appeared with Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford
, and Tatjana Patitz
on an iconic cover of British Vogue, shot by Peter Lindbergh. The group was subsequently cast to star in the music video for George Michael
's "Freedom! '90
". By then, Campbell—along with Turlington, Evangelista, Crawford, and Claudia Schiffer
—formed an elite group of models declared "supermodels" by the fashion industry. With the addition of newcomer Kate Moss
, they were collectively known as the "Big Six".
In March 1991, in a defining moment of the so-called supermodel era, Campbell walked the runway for Versace
with Turlington, Evangelista, and Crawford, arm-in-arm and lip-synching the words to "Freedom! '90". Later that year, she starred as Michael Jackson
's love interest in the music video for "In the Closet
". In April 1992, she posed with several other top models for the hundredth-anniversary cover of American Vogue, shot by Patrick Demarchelier
. That same year, she appeared in Madonna's controversial book Sex
, in a set of nude photos with Madonna and rapper Big Daddy Kane
.
In 1993, Campbell twice appeared on the cover of American Vogue; in April, alongside Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer, Stephanie Seymour
, and Helena Christensen
, and again, solo, in June. She famously fell on the runway in Vivienne Westwood
's foot-high platform shoes, which were later displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum
in London. Despite her success, however, Elite Model Management
, which had represented Campbell since 1987, fired her in September, on the grounds that "no amount of money or prestige could further justify the abuse" to staff and clients. Elite founder John Casablancas described her as "manipulative, scheming, rude, and impossible."
In the mid 1990s, Campbell branched out into other areas of the entertainment industry. Her novel Swan, about a supermodel dealing with blackmail, was released in 1994 to poor reviews. It was ghostwritten
by Caroline Upcher, with Campbell explaining that she "just did not have the time to sit down and write a book." That same year, Campbell released her album babywoman
, named after designer Rifat Ozbek
's nickname for her. A critical and commercial failure, the album produced the single "Love and Tears", which reached No. 40 on the UK charts. In 1995, Campbell and fellow models Claudia Schiffer and Elle Macpherson
invested in an ill-fated chain of restaurants called the Fashion Cafe
. Campbell also attempted an acting career: she had small roles in Miami Rhapsody
and Spike Lee
's Girl 6
, as well as a recurring role on the second season of New York Undercover
.
In 1998, Time
declared the end of the supermodel era. By then, Campbell had mostly retired from the runway, but she continued print modelling. In 1999, she signed her first cosmetics contract with Cosmopolitan Cosmetics, a division of Wella
, through which she launched several signature fragrances. In November of that year, she posed with twelve other top models for the "Modern Muses" cover of the Millennium Issue of American Vogue, shot by Annie Leibovitz
. The following month, she appeared in a white string bikini and furs on the cover of Playboy. In October 2001, she appeared with rapper Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs
on the cover of British Vogue, with the headline "Naomi and Puff: The Ultimate Power Duo".
After more than two decades as a model, Campbell was still in-demand. In 2007, she walked the runway for Dior's sixtieth-anniversary fashion show at Versailles
. In July 2008, she appeared with fellow black models Liya Kebede
, Sessilee Lopez
, and Jourdan Dunn
on the gatefold cover of a landmark all-black issue of Italian Vogue
, shot by Steven Meisel
. In September of that year, Campbell reunited with Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, and Stephanie Seymour for "A League of Their Own", a Vanity Fair
feature on the supermodel legacy.
In September 2010, Campbell appeared with Liya Kebede and Iman
on the cover of the fortieth-anniversary issue of Essence
. The following year, she posed while bound and gagged for the September cover of Spanish V, an homage to director Pedro Almodovar
. Also in 2011, Campbell starred as Duran Duran
frontman Simon Le Bon
in the band's music video for "Girl Panic!", with Cindy Crawford, Helena Christensen, Eva Herzigova
, and Yasmin Le Bon
portraying the other band members; they appeared on the November cover of British Harper's Bazaar
with the headline "The Supers vs. Duran Duran".
Campbell is involved with several charitable causes. She supports the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund
, for which she organised a benefit Versace
fashion show in 1998. Held at Nelson Mandela
's South African presidential residence, the show was the subject of a documentary titled FashionKingdom, or alternatively, Naomi Conquers Africa. Campbell, whose mother has battled breast cancer, also supports Breakthrough Breast Cancer
. In 2004, she was featured on FHM
's charity single Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?, as well as in the accompanying music video, of which all profits were donated to Breakthrough. She appeared in a print and media campaign for the charity's fundraising initiative Fashion Targets Breast Cancer, and she opened a Breakthrough breast cancer research unit in 2009.
In 2005, Campbell founded the charity We Love Brazil, which aims to raise awareness and funds to fight poverty in Brazil through the sale of fabrics made by local women. That same year, Campbell founded the charity Fashion for Relief, which has organised fund-raising fashion shows to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina
in 2005, the India terrorist attacks
in 2009, the Haiti earthquake
in 2010, and the Japan earthquake
in 2011. Fashion for Relief has reportedly raised £4.5 million. Since 2007, Campbell has been the honorary president of Athla Onlus, an Italian organisation that works to further the social integration of young people with learning disabilities. In 2009, Campbell became a goodwill ambassador for the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood
. She has since joined the charity's patron, Sarah Brown, the wife of former British prime minister Gordon Brown
, on several missions to promote maternal health.
Campbell has received recognition for her charitable work. In 2007, she was named an ambassador of Rio de Janeiro by mayor Cesar Maia
in recognition of her efforts to fight poverty in Brazil. In 2009, she was awarded Honorary Patronage of Trinity College
's University Philosophical Society for her charitable and professional work. In 2010, Sarah Brown presented her with an "Outstanding Contribution" award from British Elle
for her work as an ambassador for the White Ribbon Alliance, as well as her work in the fashion industry.
and Chris Blackwell
as adopted father figures. Former South African president Nelson Mandela
has referred to Campbell as his "honorary granddaughter". She first met Mandela in November 1994, after his party, the African National Congress
, invited her to travel to South Africa to meet with their leader. She had previously donated the proceeds from a photo shoot in Tanzania to the ANC. Over the years, Campbell has lent support to many of Mandela's political campaigns and humanitarian causes.
Campbell has never married. In the late 1980s, she dated boxer Mike Tyson
, who said of her, "She has a great body. And she's scared of nothing." In the early 1990s, she had an on-again-off-again relationship
with actor Robert De Niro
. In 1993, she became engaged to U2
bassist Adam Clayton
. They met in February of that year, after Clayton, asked in an interview if there was anything in the world he desired but didn't have, responded: "A date with Naomi Campbell". Campbell and Clayton separated the following year. She then dated dancer Joaquín Cortés
in the mid to late 1990s. In 1998, she became engaged to Formula One
racing head Flavio Briatore
; they were involved in an on-again-off-again relationship until their separation in 2003. Campbell now considers Briatore her "mentor". She dated businessman Badr Jafar
in the mid 2000s. Since 2008, Campbell has been in a relationship with businessman Vladislav Doronin, with whom she resides in Moscow.
In 1999, Campbell entered rehab after a five-year addiction to cocaine. Of her choice, in 1994, to first use the drug, Campbell said in 2005, "I was having fun. I was living this life of travelling the world and having people just give you anything. [But] the little glow in your face goes....It's a very nasty drug." In 2002, Campbell successfully claimed a breach of privacy against the Daily Mirror, after the newspaper published a report of her drug addiction, including a photograph of her leaving a Narcotics Anonymous
meeting. The High Court
ordered £3,500 in damages from the Daily Mirror, but later that year the ruling was overturned by the Appeal Court
, which ordered Campbell to pay the newspaper's £350,000 legal costs. In 2004, however, the Law Lords reinstated the High Court ruling and damages.
In August 2010, Campbell made a highly-publicised appearance at a war crimes trial against former Liberian president Charles Taylor at the Special Court for Sierra Leone
in The Hague
. She was called to give evidence on a "blood diamond" she allegedly received from Taylor during a Nelson Mandela Children's Fund
function in 1997. Campbell initially refused to testify, and—after being subpoenaed—told the court that being there was "a big inconvenience" for her. She testified that she was given "dirty-looking" stones late at night by two unidentified men, and claimed she did not know the diamonds had originated from Taylor until being told so the next morning by a fellow attendee, actress Mia Farrow
. However, her account was contradicted by testimonies from Farrow, her former agent Carole White, and former Children's Fund director Jeremy Ratcliffe.
By 2006, eight other employees and associates had come forward with claims of abuse: secretary Vanessa Frisbee claimed she was physically assaulted by Campbell, housekeeper Millicent Burton claimed Campbell had slapped, kicked, and scratched her, assistant Simone Craig claimed Campbell held her hostage and threw a phone at her, housekeeper Ana Scolavino claimed Campbell threw a BlackBerry
personal organiser at her, maid Gaby Gibson claimed Campbell hit her and called her names, and assistant Amanda Brack claimed Campbell slapped and beat her with a BlackBerry. Campbell's drug therapist claimed Campbell scratched her face during a counselling session. Actress Yvonne Sciò
claimed Campbell left her "covered in blood" after an altercation at a Rome hotel. Sciò said, "She punched me in the face. She was like Mike Tyson
." In 2005, Campbell was photographed wearing a Chip and Pepper
T-shirt that read "Naomi Hit Me...and I Loved It".
In 2007, Campbell pleaded guilty in New York to assaulting her former housekeeper Ana Scolavino. She was sentenced to pay Scolavino's medical expenses, attend an anger management program, and perform five days of community service with New York's sanitation department. She attended her community service wearing designer outfits, including fedoras, furs, and—upon completion of her sentence—a silver sequined Dolce & Gabbana
gown. Campbell detailed her community service experience in a W
feature titled "The Naomi Diaries", in which she wrote, "I keep on sweeping. I'm getting very protective of my pile of rubbish—kind of the way I feel about my Hermès
handbag." That same year, Campbell settled the lawsuits brought by actress Yvonne Sciò and her former assistant Amanda Brack. She spoofed herself in a Dunkin' Donuts
commercial, directed by Zach Braff
, which showed her breaking her heel while gardening and throwing it through a window.
In 2008, Campbell pleaded guilty to assaulting two police officers at London Heathrow Airport
. She had spat at the officers following an argument about her lost luggage. Campbell was sentenced to 200 hours of community service and fined $4,600. She was banned for life from British Airways
. In 2009, Campbell settled the lawsuit brought by her former maid Gaby Gibson.
Supermodel
The term supermodel refers to a highly-paid fashion model who usually has a worldwide reputation and often a background in haute couture and commercial modeling. The term became prominent in the popular culture of the 1980s. Supermodels usually work for top fashion designers and labels...
s" by the fashion world. As the most famous black model of her time, Campbell has been outspoken throughout her career against the racial bias that exists in the fashion industry. Her personal life is widely reported, particularly her affairs with famous men—including boxer Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
and actor Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
—and several high-profile assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
convictions.
Early life
Campbell was born in the working-class StreathamStreatham
Streatham is a district in Surrey, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
district of South London, the daughter of Jamaican-born dancer Valerie Morris. In accordance with her mother's wishes, Campbell has never met her father, who abandoned her mother when she was four months pregnant, and who went unnamed on her birth certificate. She took on the surname Campbell from her mother's second marriage. Her half-brother, Pierre, was born in 1986. Campbell is of Afro-Jamaican descent, as well as of Chinese Jamaican
Chinese Jamaican
Chinese Jamaicans are the descendants of migrants from China to Jamaica. Early migrants came in the 19th century; there was another wave of migration in the 1980s and 1990s...
ancestry through her paternal grandmother, who carried the family name Ming.
During her early years, Campbell lived in Rome, where her mother worked as a modern dance
Modern dance
Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dance has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.-Intro:...
r. Following their return to London, she was left in the care of her maternal grandmother, Ruby, while her mother travelled across Europe with the dance troupe Fantastica. At five years old, Campbell was enrolled at the Barbara Speake Stage School, and at the age of ten, she was accepted into the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, where she studied ballet.
Career
Campbell's first public appearance came at the age of seven, in 1978, when she was featured in the music video for Bob MarleyBob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
's "Is This Love
Is This Love (Bob Marley song)
"Is This Love" is a song by Bob Marley & The Wailers, released on his 1978 album Kaya. The song became one of the best known Marley songs and was part of the Legend compilation...
". That same year, she played Snow White in two episodes of the Children's Film Foundation
Children's Film Foundation
The Children's Film Foundation was a non-profit-making organisation which made films for children in the United Kingdom, typically running for about 55 minutes. It was founded in 1951. For 30 years it was subsidised by the Eady Levy - a tax on box office receipts, but this was abolished in 1985...
television series The Chiffy Kids. At the age of twelve, she tap-danced in the music video for Culture Club
Culture Club
Culture Club are a British rock band who were part of the 1980s New Romantic movement. The original band consisted of Boy George , Mikey Craig , Roy Hay and Jon Moss...
's "I'll Tumble 4 Ya
I'll Tumble 4 Ya
"I'll Tumble 4 Ya" was a single from Culture Club's debut album Kissing to Be Clever.The single was released only in North America, peaking at number nine in both the U.S. and Canada...
".
In 1986, Campbell was scouted by Beth Boldt, head of the Synchro model agency, while window-shopping in Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
. Her career quickly took off—in April, just before her sixteenth birthday, she appeared on the cover of British Elle
Elle
Elle may refer to:*Elle, Central African Republic*Elle , a fashion publication*Ellé, a river in France*Elle , a female given name*Elle , a Sri Lankan game similar to baseball*Ælle of Sussex, a Saxon king...
. Over the next few years, Campbell's success grew steadily: she walked the runway for such designers as Gianni Versace
Gianni Versace
Gianni Versace was an Italian fashion designer and founder of Gianni Versace S.p.A., an international fashion house, which produces accessories, fragrances, makeup and home furnishings as well as clothes. He also designed costumes for the theatre and films, and was a friend of Madonna, Elton John,...
, Azzedine Alaïa
Azzedine Alaia
Azzedine Alaïa is a Tunisian-born couturier and shoe designer, particularly successful since the 1980s.-Biography:Alaïa was born in Siliana, Tunisia on 7 June 1940. His parents were wheat farmers but his glamorous twin sister inspired his love for couture. A French friend of his mother fed Alaïa's...
, and Isaac Mizrahi
Isaac Mizrahi
Isaac Mizrahi is an American TV presenter, fashion designer, and was the creative director of Liz Claiborne. He is best known for his eponymous fashion lines.-Early life:...
, and posed for such photographers as Peter Lindbergh
Peter Lindbergh
Peter Lindbergh, born Peter Brodbeck, is a German photographer and filmmaker, born on November 23, 1944 in Leszno, Poland. He currently lives in Paris, New York and Arles....
, Herb Ritts
Herb Ritts
Herbert "Herb" Ritts was an American fashion photographer who concentrated on black-and-white photography and portraits, often in the style of classical Greek sculpture.-Early life and career:...
, and Bruce Weber
Bruce Weber (photographer)
Bruce Weber is an American fashion photographer and occasional filmmaker. He is most widely known for his ad campaigns for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Pirelli, Abercrombie & Fitch, Revlon, and Gianni Versace, as well as his work for Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, Elle, Life, Interview, and Rolling Stone...
. By the late 1980s, Campbell was part of a trio of models—the others being Christy Turlington
Christy Turlington
Christy Turlington Burns is an American model best known for representing Calvin Klein from 1987 to 2007. She has worked on dozens of modeling contracts with companies including Maybelline Cosmetics and Versace. Turlington starred in her fashion documentary Catwalk and Isaac Mizrahi's Unzipped...
and Linda Evangelista
Linda Evangelista
Linda Evangelista is a Canadian model. She has been featured on over 600 magazine covers and has garnered work on numerous modeling assignments with companies, most recently with L'Oréal.- Early years :...
—known as the "Trinity", who became the most recognisable and in-demand models of their generation.
When faced with discrimination, Campbell received support from her friends; she later quoted Turlington and Evangelista as telling Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana is an Italian luxury industry fashion house. The company was started by the Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana in Milan, Italy. By 2005 their turnover was €597 million....
, "If you don't use Naomi, you don't get us." In December 1987, she appeared on the cover of British Vogue
Vogue (British magazine)
The British edition of Vogue is a fashion magazine that has been published since 1916.When British Vogue was launched, it was the first overseas edition of an existing fashion magazine. Under the magazine's first editor, Elspeth Champcommunal, the magazine was essentially the same as the American...
, as that publication's first black cover girl since 1966. In August 1988, she became the first black model to appear on the cover of French Vogue
Vogue Paris
The French edition of Vogue magazine, Vogue Paris, is a fashion magazine that has been published since 1920.-1920–1954:The French edition of Vogue was first issued on June 15, 1920. More information about French Vogue in the 1920s is available in Mary E. Davis's book Classic Chic: Music, Fashion,...
, after her friend and mentor, designer Yves St. Laurent, threatened to withdraw his advertising from the magazine if it continued to refuse to place black models on its cover. The following year, she appeared on the cover of American Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
, which marked the first time a black model graced the front of the September issue, traditionally the year's biggest and most important issue.
In January 1990, Campbell, who was declared "the reigning megamodel of them all" by Interview
Interview (magazine)
Interview is an American magazine which has the nickname The Crystal Ball Of Pop. It was founded in late 1969 by artist Andy Warhol. The magazine features intimate conversations between some of the world's biggest celebrities, artists, musicians, and creative thinkers...
, appeared with Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford
Cindy Crawford
Cynthia Ann "Cindy" Crawford is an American model. Known for her trademark mole just above her lip, Crawford has adorned hundreds of magazine covers throughout her career. She was named #3 on VH1's 40 Hottest Hotties of the 90s...
, and Tatjana Patitz
Tatjana Patitz
Tatjana Patitz is a German model and actress who rose to international prominence in the 1980s and 1990s, representing top fashion designers, campaigns, and collections, and who continues to model today.-Modelling career:...
on an iconic cover of British Vogue, shot by Peter Lindbergh. The group was subsequently cast to star in the music video for George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
's "Freedom! '90
Freedom! '90
"Freedom '90" is a song written and performed by George Michael, and released on Columbia Records in 1990. The "'90" added to the end of the title is to prevent confusion with an international hit by Michael's former band, Wham!, also titled "Freedom".It was the third single taken from Listen...
". By then, Campbell—along with Turlington, Evangelista, Crawford, and Claudia Schiffer
Claudia Schiffer
Claudia Schiffer is a German model and occasional actress, who reached the peak of her popularity during the 1990s, initially due to her resemblance to Brigitte Bardot. Schiffer is one of the world's most successful models, having appeared on over 500 magazine covers...
—formed an elite group of models declared "supermodels" by the fashion industry. With the addition of newcomer Kate Moss
Kate Moss
Kate Moss is an English model. Moss is known for her waifish figure and popularising the heroin chic look in the 1990s. She is also known for her controversial private life, high profile relationships, party lifestyle, and drug use. Moss changed the look of modelling and started a global debate on...
, they were collectively known as the "Big Six".
In March 1991, in a defining moment of the so-called supermodel era, Campbell walked the runway for Versace
Versace
Gianni Versace S.p.A. , usually referred to as Versace, is an Italian fashion label founded by Gianni Versace in 1978.The first Versace boutique was opened in Milan's Via della Spiga in 1978, and its popularity was immediate. Today, Versace is one of the world's leading international fashion houses...
with Turlington, Evangelista, and Crawford, arm-in-arm and lip-synching the words to "Freedom! '90". Later that year, she starred as Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's love interest in the music video for "In the Closet
In the Closet
"In the Closet" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson from his 1991 Dangerous album. The song became that album's second number one R&B single and its third top ten pop single, hitting number six on the Billboard Hot 100....
". In April 1992, she posed with several other top models for the hundredth-anniversary cover of American Vogue, shot by Patrick Demarchelier
Patrick Demarchelier
Patrick Demarchelier is a French fashion photographer.-Life:Born near Paris in 1943 to a modest family, he spent his childhood in Le Havre with his mother and four brothers. For his seventeenth birthday, his stepfather bought him his first Eastman Kodak camera...
. That same year, she appeared in Madonna's controversial book Sex
Sex (book)
Sex is a coffee table book written by Madonna with photographs by Steven Meisel Studio and film frames taken from film shot by Fabien Baron. The book was edited by Glenn O'Brien. Sex was released on October 21, 1992 by Warner Books...
, in a set of nude photos with Madonna and rapper Big Daddy Kane
Big Daddy Kane
Antonio Hardy better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper who started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap group the Juice Crew. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential and skilled MC's in Hip Hop...
.
In 1993, Campbell twice appeared on the cover of American Vogue; in April, alongside Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer, Stephanie Seymour
Stephanie Seymour
Stephanie Michelle Seymour is an American model and actress. Seymour has modeled for many notable fashion magazines and designers, and has been photographed by several well-known photographers including Herb Ritts, Richard Avedon, Gilles Bensimon, and Mario Testino.-Career:Born in San Diego,...
, and Helena Christensen
Helena Christensen
Helena Christensen is a Danish fashion model, Victoria's Secret Angel, beauty queen, and photographer. She has also served as creative director for Nylon magazine, designed clothing, and supported funding for breast cancer organizations and other charities.-Early life:Christensen was born in...
, and again, solo, in June. She famously fell on the runway in Vivienne Westwood
Vivienne Westwood
Dame Vivienne Westwood, DBE, RDI is a British fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream.-Early life:...
's foot-high platform shoes, which were later displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
in London. Despite her success, however, Elite Model Management
Elite Model Management
Elite Model Management is a large modeling agency based in New York and Paris. It is a subsidiary of Elite World S.A.-History:Founded in France in 1972 by John Casablancas and Alain Kittler, it was rebought in 1990 by Nicholas Farrae. Elite World S.A. is the parent company of Elite Model...
, which had represented Campbell since 1987, fired her in September, on the grounds that "no amount of money or prestige could further justify the abuse" to staff and clients. Elite founder John Casablancas described her as "manipulative, scheming, rude, and impossible."
In the mid 1990s, Campbell branched out into other areas of the entertainment industry. Her novel Swan, about a supermodel dealing with blackmail, was released in 1994 to poor reviews. It was ghostwritten
Ghostwriter
A ghostwriter is a professional writer who is paid to write books, articles, stories, reports, or other texts that are officially credited to another person. Celebrities, executives, and political leaders often hire ghostwriters to draft or edit autobiographies, magazine articles, or other written...
by Caroline Upcher, with Campbell explaining that she "just did not have the time to sit down and write a book." That same year, Campbell released her album babywoman
Baby Woman
- Music video :"Love and Tears" is the only video from the album. The video was directed by Anton Corbijn.-Chart positions:...
, named after designer Rifat Ozbek
Rifat Ozbek
Rifat Ozbek is a Turkish-born fashion designer, known for his exotic, ethnically-inspired outfits. He has been named British Designer of the Year in 1988 and 1992.-Biography:Ozbek was born in Istanbul, Turkey and grew up in in a yali on the Bosphorus...
's nickname for her. A critical and commercial failure, the album produced the single "Love and Tears", which reached No. 40 on the UK charts. In 1995, Campbell and fellow models Claudia Schiffer and Elle Macpherson
Elle Macpherson
Elle Macpherson is an Australian model, actress, and businesswoman nicknamed "The Body". She is perhaps best known for her record five cover appearances for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue beginning in the 1980s...
invested in an ill-fated chain of restaurants called the Fashion Cafe
Fashion Cafe
Fashion Cafe was a restaurant chain featuring celebrities. Francesco Buti and Tommaso Buti founded the restaurant chain, which was owned by Naomi Campbell, Elle Macpherson, Claudia Schiffer, and Christy Turlington. The Associated Press called the chain "a couture version of Planet Hollywood and the...
. Campbell also attempted an acting career: she had small roles in Miami Rhapsody
Miami Rhapsody
Miami Rhapsody is a 1995 American romantic comedy film starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Gil Bellows, Antonio Banderas, Mia Farrow, Paul Mazursky, Kevin Pollak, Barbara Garrick, and Carla Gugino. It was written, produced, and directed by David Frankel, with music composed by Mark Isham.-Plot:Gwyn...
and Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
's Girl 6
Girl 6
Girl 6 may refer to:*Girl 6, a 1996 film by Spike Lee*Girl 6 , the soundtrack for the film, composed by Prince*“Girl 6” , the title song for the soundtrack...
, as well as a recurring role on the second season of New York Undercover
New York Undercover
New York Undercover is an American police drama that aired on the FOX television network from 1994 to 1998. The series starred Malik Yoba as Detective J.C. Williams and Michael DeLorenzo as Detective Eddie Torres, two undercover detectives in New York City's 4th Precinct who were assigned to...
.
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
declared the end of the supermodel era. By then, Campbell had mostly retired from the runway, but she continued print modelling. In 1999, she signed her first cosmetics contract with Cosmopolitan Cosmetics, a division of Wella
Wella
Wella is a German company, and one of the world’s leading cosmetics suppliers. Founded in 1880 by Franz Stroher, with its headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany, the company is represented in over 150 countries....
, through which she launched several signature fragrances. In November of that year, she posed with twelve other top models for the "Modern Muses" cover of the Millennium Issue of American Vogue, shot by Annie Leibovitz
Annie Leibovitz
Anna-Lou "Annie" Leibovitz is an American portrait photographer.-Early life and education:Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, Leibovitz is the third of six children. She is a third-generation American whose great-grandparents were Jewish immigrants, from Central and Eastern Europe. Her father's...
. The following month, she appeared in a white string bikini and furs on the cover of Playboy. In October 2001, she appeared with rapper Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
on the cover of British Vogue, with the headline "Naomi and Puff: The Ultimate Power Duo".
After more than two decades as a model, Campbell was still in-demand. In 2007, she walked the runway for Dior's sixtieth-anniversary fashion show at Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
. In July 2008, she appeared with fellow black models Liya Kebede
Liya Kebede
Liya Kebede is an Ethiopian model, maternal health advocate, clothing designer and actress who has appeared three times on the cover of US Vogue . According to Forbes, Kebede was eleventh-highest-paid top model in the world in 2007...
, Sessilee Lopez
Sessilee Lopez
Sessilee Lopez is an American model. She has appeared in Vogue Italia and graced one of the four covers of its "All Black" issue, while Naomi Campbell, Liya Kebede, and Jourdan Dunn graced the alternative ones.-Career:...
, and Jourdan Dunn
Jourdan Dunn
Jourdan Dunn is a British fashion model. She was discovered in Hammersmith Primark in 2006 and signed to Storm Management in London shortly thereafter. In 2008, she was the first black model to walk a Prada runway in over a decade...
on the gatefold cover of a landmark all-black issue of Italian Vogue
Vogue Italia
Vogue Italia is the Italian edition of Vogue magazine. Owned by Condé Nast International, it is the least commercial of all editions of Vogue magazine and has been called the top fashion magazine in the world....
, shot by Steven Meisel
Steven Meisel
Steven Meisel is an American photographer, who obtained popular acclaim with his work in US and Italian Vogue and his photographs of friend Madonna in her 1992 book Sex...
. In September of that year, Campbell reunited with Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, and Stephanie Seymour for "A League of Their Own", a Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
feature on the supermodel legacy.
In September 2010, Campbell appeared with Liya Kebede and Iman
Iman (model)
Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid , professionally known as Iman , is a Somali-American fashion model, actress and entrepreneur. A pioneer in the field of ethnic cosmetics, she is also noted for her charitable work. She is married to David Bowie.-Early life:Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, Iman is the daughter...
on the cover of the fortieth-anniversary issue of Essence
Essence (magazine)
Essence is a monthly magazine for African-American women between the ages of 18 and 49. The magazine covers fashion, lifestyle and beauty with an intimate girlfriend-to-girlfriend tone.-History:...
. The following year, she posed while bound and gagged for the September cover of Spanish V, an homage to director Pedro Almodovar
Pedro Almodóvar
Pedro Almodóvar Caballero is a Spanish film director, screenwriter and producer.Almodóvar is arguably the most successful and internationally known Spanish filmmaker of his generation. His films, marked by complex narratives, employ the codes of melodrama and use elements of pop culture, popular...
. Also in 2011, Campbell starred as Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
frontman Simon Le Bon
Simon Le Bon
Simon John Charles Le Bon is an English musician, best known as the lead singer, lyricist and musician of the band Duran Duran and its offshoot, Arcadia.-Early life:...
in the band's music video for "Girl Panic!", with Cindy Crawford, Helena Christensen, Eva Herzigova
Eva Herzigová
Eva Herzigová is a Czech model and actress.-Early life and career:Herzigová was born in Litvínov, Czechoslovakia . She began her modeling career after winning a modeling beauty contest in Prague in 1989, at the age of sixteen. After arriving in Paris, her popularity increased...
, and Yasmin Le Bon
Yasmin Le Bon
Yasmin Le Bon is a British Iranian fashion model. She was born to an Iranian father and an English mother...
portraying the other band members; they appeared on the November cover of British Harper's Bazaar
Harper's Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
with the headline "The Supers vs. Duran Duran".
Activism and charity work
Despite her status as the most famous black model of her time, Campbell never earned the same volume of advertising assignments as her white colleagues, and she was not signed by a cosmetics company until as late as 1999. In 1991, she revealed, "I may be considered one of the top models in the world, but in no way do I make the same money as any of them." Throughout her career, Campbell has been outspoken against the racial bias that exists in the fashion industry. In 1997, she stated, "There is prejudice. It is a problem and I can't go along any more with brushing it under the carpet. This business is about selling, and blonde and blue-eyed girls are what sells." A decade later, she again spoke out against discrimination, stating, "The American president may be black, but as a black woman, I am still an exception in this business. I always have to work harder to be treated equally."Campbell is involved with several charitable causes. She supports the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund
Nelson Mandela Children's Fund
The Nelson Mandela Children's Fund is a charitable organization founded by Nelson Mandela, based in South Africa. Its mission is to help individuals from birth to age 22, particularly orphans of the AIDS crisis.-History:...
, for which she organised a benefit Versace
Versace
Gianni Versace S.p.A. , usually referred to as Versace, is an Italian fashion label founded by Gianni Versace in 1978.The first Versace boutique was opened in Milan's Via della Spiga in 1978, and its popularity was immediate. Today, Versace is one of the world's leading international fashion houses...
fashion show in 1998. Held at Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
's South African presidential residence, the show was the subject of a documentary titled FashionKingdom, or alternatively, Naomi Conquers Africa. Campbell, whose mother has battled breast cancer, also supports Breakthrough Breast Cancer
Breakthrough Breast Cancer
Breakthrough Breast Cancer is a United Kingdom charity committed to fighting breast cancer through research, campaigning and education. Its vision is "to work for a future free from the fear of breast cancer".-History:...
. In 2004, she was featured on FHM
FHM
FHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
's charity single Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?, as well as in the accompanying music video, of which all profits were donated to Breakthrough. She appeared in a print and media campaign for the charity's fundraising initiative Fashion Targets Breast Cancer, and she opened a Breakthrough breast cancer research unit in 2009.
In 2005, Campbell founded the charity We Love Brazil, which aims to raise awareness and funds to fight poverty in Brazil through the sale of fabrics made by local women. That same year, Campbell founded the charity Fashion for Relief, which has organised fund-raising fashion shows to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
in 2005, the India terrorist attacks
2008 Mumbai attacks
The 2008 Mumbai attacks were more than 10 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks across Mumbai, India's largest city, by Islamist attackers who came from Pakistan...
in 2009, the Haiti earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
in 2010, and the Japan earthquake
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
in 2011. Fashion for Relief has reportedly raised £4.5 million. Since 2007, Campbell has been the honorary president of Athla Onlus, an Italian organisation that works to further the social integration of young people with learning disabilities. In 2009, Campbell became a goodwill ambassador for the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood
White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood
The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood is a nonpartisan, non-profit and non-governmental membership organization that aims to decrease maternal and newborn death globally....
. She has since joined the charity's patron, Sarah Brown, the wife of former British prime minister Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
, on several missions to promote maternal health.
Campbell has received recognition for her charitable work. In 2007, she was named an ambassador of Rio de Janeiro by mayor Cesar Maia
Cesar Maia
César Epitácio Maia is a Brazilian politician, notable for having been elected three times for mayor of Rio de Janeiro.A native of Rio, born in 1945, Maia was forced to leave Brazil in exile during the 1960s on account of his affiliation with the Brazilian Communist Party...
in recognition of her efforts to fight poverty in Brazil. In 2009, she was awarded Honorary Patronage of Trinity College
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
's University Philosophical Society for her charitable and professional work. In 2010, Sarah Brown presented her with an "Outstanding Contribution" award from British Elle
Elle (magazine)
Elle is a worldwide magazine of French origin that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the world's largest fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hélène Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means "she".-History:Elle was founded in...
for her work as an ambassador for the White Ribbon Alliance, as well as her work in the fashion industry.
Personal life
Campbell, who has never met her biological father, regards record producers Quincy JonesQuincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
and Chris Blackwell
Chris Blackwell
Christopher Percy Gordon "Chris" Blackwell is a British record producer and businessman, who was the founder of Island Records, acknowledged as the most successful and groundbreaking independent record company in history. Blackwell has been a music industry mogul for over fifty years...
as adopted father figures. Former South African president Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
has referred to Campbell as his "honorary granddaughter". She first met Mandela in November 1994, after his party, the African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
, invited her to travel to South Africa to meet with their leader. She had previously donated the proceeds from a photo shoot in Tanzania to the ANC. Over the years, Campbell has lent support to many of Mandela's political campaigns and humanitarian causes.
Campbell has never married. In the late 1980s, she dated boxer Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
, who said of her, "She has a great body. And she's scared of nothing." In the early 1990s, she had an on-again-off-again relationship
On-again, off-again relationship
An on-again, off-again relationship is a form of casual relationship, usually sexual, between two people. It is where the couple concerned do not see their discontinuous affair as an ongoing or formal relationship...
with actor Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
. In 1993, she became engaged to U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
bassist Adam Clayton
Adam Clayton
Adam Charles Clayton is a musician, best known as the bassist of the Irish rock band U2. Clayton has resided in County Dublin since the time his family moved to Malahide when he was five years old in 1965...
. They met in February of that year, after Clayton, asked in an interview if there was anything in the world he desired but didn't have, responded: "A date with Naomi Campbell". Campbell and Clayton separated the following year. She then dated dancer Joaquín Cortés
Joaquín Cortés
Joaquín Pedraja Reyes "Joaquín Cortés" is a classically trained ballet and flamenco dancer from Spain of Romani origin.-Biography:...
in the mid to late 1990s. In 1998, she became engaged to Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
racing head Flavio Briatore
Flavio Briatore
Flavio Briatore is an Italian businessman. During the 1980s, he was convicted for multiple counts of fraud, receiving two prison sentences, only one of which he served. As a fugitive from Italy, he set up restaurants and then a number of successful Benneton franchises in the Virgin Islands and the...
; they were involved in an on-again-off-again relationship until their separation in 2003. Campbell now considers Briatore her "mentor". She dated businessman Badr Jafar
Badr Jafar
Badr Jafar is an Emirati business executive and entrepreneur based in the United Arab Emirates . Educated in the UAE and United Kingdom, he is the President of Crescent Petroleum and founder-Chief Executive Officer of Crescent Investments, the Crescent Group conglomerate's non-petroleum division...
in the mid 2000s. Since 2008, Campbell has been in a relationship with businessman Vladislav Doronin, with whom she resides in Moscow.
In 1999, Campbell entered rehab after a five-year addiction to cocaine. Of her choice, in 1994, to first use the drug, Campbell said in 2005, "I was having fun. I was living this life of travelling the world and having people just give you anything. [But] the little glow in your face goes....It's a very nasty drug." In 2002, Campbell successfully claimed a breach of privacy against the Daily Mirror, after the newspaper published a report of her drug addiction, including a photograph of her leaving a Narcotics Anonymous
Narcotics Anonymous
Narcotics Anonymous is a twelve-step program modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous describing itself as a "fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem," and it is the second-largest 12-step organization...
meeting. The High Court
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
ordered £3,500 in damages from the Daily Mirror, but later that year the ruling was overturned by the Appeal Court
Court of Appeal of England and Wales
The Court of Appeal of England and Wales is the second most senior court in the English legal system, with only the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom above it...
, which ordered Campbell to pay the newspaper's £350,000 legal costs. In 2004, however, the Law Lords reinstated the High Court ruling and damages.
In August 2010, Campbell made a highly-publicised appearance at a war crimes trial against former Liberian president Charles Taylor at the Special Court for Sierra Leone
Special Court for Sierra Leone
The Special Court for Sierra Leone is an independent judicial body set up to "try those who bear greatest responsibility" for the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Sierra Leone after 30 November 1996 during the Sierra Leone Civil War...
in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
. She was called to give evidence on a "blood diamond" she allegedly received from Taylor during a Nelson Mandela Children's Fund
Nelson Mandela Children's Fund
The Nelson Mandela Children's Fund is a charitable organization founded by Nelson Mandela, based in South Africa. Its mission is to help individuals from birth to age 22, particularly orphans of the AIDS crisis.-History:...
function in 1997. Campbell initially refused to testify, and—after being subpoenaed—told the court that being there was "a big inconvenience" for her. She testified that she was given "dirty-looking" stones late at night by two unidentified men, and claimed she did not know the diamonds had originated from Taylor until being told so the next morning by a fellow attendee, actress Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow is an American actress, singer, humanitarian, and fashion model.Farrow first gained wide acclaim for her role as Allison Mackenzie in the soap opera Peyton Place, and for her subsequent short-lived marriage to Frank Sinatra...
. However, her account was contradicted by testimonies from Farrow, her former agent Carole White, and former Children's Fund director Jeremy Ratcliffe.
Assault cases
Between 1998 and 2008, Campbell was accused ten times of committing acts of violence against employees, associates, and, in one instance, police officers. In 2000, Campbell pleaded guilty in Toronto to assaulting her personal assistant Georgina Galanis with a cell phone. Campbell paid Galanis an undisclosed sum and agreed to attend anger management classes; her record was cleared in exchange for her expressing remorse.By 2006, eight other employees and associates had come forward with claims of abuse: secretary Vanessa Frisbee claimed she was physically assaulted by Campbell, housekeeper Millicent Burton claimed Campbell had slapped, kicked, and scratched her, assistant Simone Craig claimed Campbell held her hostage and threw a phone at her, housekeeper Ana Scolavino claimed Campbell threw a BlackBerry
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
personal organiser at her, maid Gaby Gibson claimed Campbell hit her and called her names, and assistant Amanda Brack claimed Campbell slapped and beat her with a BlackBerry. Campbell's drug therapist claimed Campbell scratched her face during a counselling session. Actress Yvonne Sciò
Yvonne Sciò
-Biography:Sciò appeared in the music video for Tal Bachman's song "She's So High. Sciò married Stefano Dammicco on November 12, 2005.-Filmography:*La Masseria Delle Allodole *The Pink Panther *Torrente 3: el Protector...
claimed Campbell left her "covered in blood" after an altercation at a Rome hotel. Sciò said, "She punched me in the face. She was like Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
." In 2005, Campbell was photographed wearing a Chip and Pepper
Chip and Pepper
Chip and Pepper Foster are Canadian, identical twin businesspeople. They are co-owners of the self-titled Chip & Pepper apparel company and former hosts of their own NBC series, Chip and Pepper's Cartoon Madness....
T-shirt that read "Naomi Hit Me...and I Loved It".
In 2007, Campbell pleaded guilty in New York to assaulting her former housekeeper Ana Scolavino. She was sentenced to pay Scolavino's medical expenses, attend an anger management program, and perform five days of community service with New York's sanitation department. She attended her community service wearing designer outfits, including fedoras, furs, and—upon completion of her sentence—a silver sequined Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana is an Italian luxury industry fashion house. The company was started by the Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana in Milan, Italy. By 2005 their turnover was €597 million....
gown. Campbell detailed her community service experience in a W
W (magazine)
W is a monthly American fashion magazine published by Condé Nast Publications, who purchased original owner Fairchild Publications in 1999. It was created in 1971 by the publisher of sister magazine Woman's Wear Daily, James Brady. The magazine is an oversize format – ten inches wide and...
feature titled "The Naomi Diaries", in which she wrote, "I keep on sweeping. I'm getting very protective of my pile of rubbish—kind of the way I feel about my Hermès
Hermès
Hermès International S.A., or simply Hermès is a French high fashion house established in 1837, today specializing in leather, lifestyle accessories, perfumery, luxury goods, and ready-to-wear...
handbag." That same year, Campbell settled the lawsuits brought by actress Yvonne Sciò and her former assistant Amanda Brack. She spoofed herself in a Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts is an international doughnut and coffee retailer founded in 1950 by William Rosenberg in Quincy, Massachusetts; it is now headquartered in Canton...
commercial, directed by Zach Braff
Zach Braff
Zachary Israel "Zach" Braff is an American actor, screenwriter, producer, comedian, and director. Braff first became known in 2001 for his role as Dr. John Dorian on the television series Scrubs, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award and three Golden Globe Awards.In 2004, Braff made his...
, which showed her breaking her heel while gardening and throwing it through a window.
In 2008, Campbell pleaded guilty to assaulting two police officers at London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
. She had spat at the officers following an argument about her lost luggage. Campbell was sentenced to 200 hours of community service and fined $4,600. She was banned for life from British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
. In 2009, Campbell settled the lawsuit brought by her former maid Gaby Gibson.
Filmography
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Chiffy Kids | 1978 | Snow White | TV series; two episodes |
| Kids | 1979 | April | TV series; two episodes |
| The Cosby Show The Cosby Show The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992... |
1988 | Julia | TV series; three episodes |
| The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990 to May 20, 1996. The show stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who is sent to move in with his aunt and uncle in their... |
1990 | Helen | TV series; one episode |
| Cool as Ice Cool as Ice Cool as Ice is a 1991 American musical romance film directed by David Kellogg and starring rapper Vanilla Ice in his feature film debut. The film focuses on the character of Johnny, a freewheeling, motorcycle-riding rapper who arrives in a small town and meets Kathy, an honor student who catches... |
1991 | Singer | |
| Models: The Film Peter Lindbergh Peter Lindbergh, born Peter Brodbeck, is a German photographer and filmmaker, born on November 23, 1944 in Leszno, Poland. He currently lives in Paris, New York and Arles.... |
1991 | Herself | Documentary |
| The Night We Never Met | 1993 | Shopper | |
| Harry Enfield and Chums Harry Enfield's Television Programme Harry Enfield's Television Programme was a British sketch show starring Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse... |
1994 | Herself | TV series; one episode |
| Prêt-à-Porter Prêt-à-Porter (film) Prêt-à-Porter is a 1994 American satirical black comedy film co-written, directed, and produced by Robert Altman and shot during the Paris, France, Fashion Week with a host of international stars, models and designers... |
1994 | Herself | Documentary |
| Miami Rhapsody Miami Rhapsody Miami Rhapsody is a 1995 American romantic comedy film starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Gil Bellows, Antonio Banderas, Mia Farrow, Paul Mazursky, Kevin Pollak, Barbara Garrick, and Carla Gugino. It was written, produced, and directed by David Frankel, with music composed by Mark Isham.-Plot:Gwyn... |
1995 | Kaia | |
| To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar | 1995 | Girl | |
| New York Undercover New York Undercover New York Undercover is an American police drama that aired on the FOX television network from 1994 to 1998. The series starred Malik Yoba as Detective J.C. Williams and Michael DeLorenzo as Detective Eddie Torres, two undercover detectives in New York City's 4th Precinct who were assigned to... |
1995 | Simone | TV series; six episodes |
| Absolutely Fabulous Absolutely Fabulous Absolutely Fabulous, also known as Ab Fab, is a British sitcom created by Jennifer Saunders, based on an original idea by her and Dawn French, and written by Saunders, who plays the leading character. It also stars Joanna Lumley and Julia Sawalha, along with June Whitfield and Jane Horrocks... |
1995 | Herself | TV series; one episode |
| Unzipped Unzipped (film) Unzipped is a 1995 documentary film, directed by Douglas Keeve. It follows fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi, Keeve's then boyfriend, as he plans and ultimately shows his fall 1994 collection... |
1995 | Herself | Documentary |
| Girl 6 Girl 6 Girl 6 may refer to:*Girl 6, a 1996 film by Spike Lee*Girl 6 , the soundtrack for the film, composed by Prince*“Girl 6” , the title song for the soundtrack... |
1996 | Girl #75 | |
| Invasion of Privacy | 1996 | Cindy Carmichael | |
| Catwalk | 1996 | Herself | Documentary |
| Burn Hollywood Burn | 1997 | Attendant #2 | |
| For Your Love For Your Love (TV series) For Your Love is an American sitcom that premiered on March 17, 1998 on NBC. It was canceled after six episodes, but was picked up by The WB Network. It ran there for four years before its 2002 cancellation.-Synopsis:... |
1998 | Herself | TV series; one episode |
| FashionKingdom | 1998 | Herself | Documentary |
| Trippin' Trippin' (film) Trippin' is a 1999 comedy film starring Deon Richmond, Maia Campbell, Donald Faison, and Guy Torry. The film also served as one of Anthony Anderson's earliest film roles. It was directed by David Raynr. The film is airing on Bounce TV at this very moment.... |
1999 | Naomi Shaffer | |
| Prisoner of Love | 1999 | Tracy | |
| Ali G Indahouse Ali G Indahouse Ali G Indahouse is a British comedy film directed by Mark Mylod and starring the fictional character Ali G, who is performed by British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen... |
2002 | Herself | |
| Fastlane Fastlane (TV series) Fastlane is an American action/crime drama series that was broadcast on Fox from 2002 to 2003. On August 14, 2005 G4 began rebroadcasting the complete series. After finishing its initial run on the network, Fastlane stopped airing on G4... |
2003 | Lena Savage | TV series; one episode |
| Fat Slags | 2004 | Sales assistant | |
| The Call | 2006 | Dark Angel – The Evil | Short film |
| Ugly Betty Ugly Betty Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea... |
2008 | Herself | TV series; one episode |
| Karma, Confessions and Holi | 2009 | Jennifer | |
| Rose, c'est Paris | 2010 | Herself | TV film |
| Por el Camino | 2010 | Herself |