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Naomi Campbell on being linked to Harvey Weinstein: 'Do me a f****** favour, I won't take that s***'

Supermodel had been photographed with disgraced producer at events 

Sarah Young
Sunday 17 November 2019 13:03 GMT
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Naomi Campbell discusses Jeffrey Epstein

Naomi Campbell has addressed claimed links to disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, complaining she has been “singled out” by the press.

Earlier this year, the Mail On Sunday published an article suggesting the supermodel was friends with “a hair-raising cast of characters” including Weinstein, who has been accused of multiple sexual assaults, as well as billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The newspaper printed photos of her with both men.

It followed the announcement Campbell would be honoured by the British Fashion Council for her contribution to the industry, as well as her philanthropic work on Fashion For Relief, an organisation that raises money for environmental and humanitarian causes.

The 49-year-old addressed the article in a new interview with The Guardian, saying: “I’ve met thousands of people at events and been photographed with them – there are pictures of me with everyone. 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?

“Do me a f***ing favour. I won’t sit there and roll over and take that s***.”

Campbell, who previously called the Mail on Sunday story a “character assassination”, implied attempts to link her to Weinstein and Epstein were motivated by her race.

“We all know what that’s about,” she said, before listing a number of high-profile black people who have also been attacked by tabloids including footballer Raheem Sterling, racing driver Lewis Hamilton and tennis player Serena Williams.

The supermodel went on to defend the Duchess of Sussex, whose husband Prince Harry has accused the British press of a “ruthless” campaign against her. Campbell said: “I don’t know how Meghan Markle deals with this and I’m really glad she’s taken action to defend herself.

“When I heard [she was taking legal action], I was like ‘Bravo. Good for her’.”

Markle is currently suing the Mail On Sunday for infringement of her privacy after it allegedly unlawfully published one of her private letters.

In the interview, Campbell also spoke about the impact of the #MeToo movement on fashion. She said she never experienced sexual abuse or harassment herself but has “empathy and concern for those it did happen to”.

“I feel for their trauma, psychologically how it affects them,” Campbell said. “But it never happened to me.”

The model went on to praise a number of fashion designers for protecting her from such experiences, saying: “I didn’t see any of that s***, because thank God for my armour, my being called a bad bitch – I was lucky it never happened to me.

“I was protected by my angels Azzedine Alaïa, Gianni [Versace] and Yves Saint Laurent.”

Campbell has spoken previously about her relationship with Epstein, who took his own life in prison earlier this year while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking of minors.

In August, the model denied all knowledge of Epstein’s “indefensible” crimes in a video which she posted to her YouTube channel.

Recalling her first meeting with the well-connected financier 18 years ago, Campbell said the pair were introduced by her ex-boyfriend Flavio Briatore and that Epstein was also often “front and centre at Victoria’s Secret shows”.

When asked if she was aware of Epstein’s crimes, Campbell said: “No. And what he’s done is indefensible.

“When I had heard what he had done, it sickened me to my stomach just like everybody else because I’ve had my fair share of sexual predators, just like everybody else.

“Right now I stand with the victims ... They’re scarred for life. For life.”

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