Fashion Discussion : Are People Too Hard on Naomi Campbell?
Edited by The Fashion Web
Hey Guys!
So today my friends and I got into a little debate during lunch about Naomi Campbell and her involvement with former Liberian President Charles Taylor:
It you don’t know the story, here’s the skinny: Charles Taylor is a dictator who is currently on trial for war crimes committed during Sierra Leone’s violent civil war. Charles is accused of using uncut diamonds to buy weapons for use in a conflict where an estimated 550,000 people were killed. While in South Africa in 1997, he allegedly met and flirted with Naomi Campbell, ultimately gifting her two uncut diamonds. Naomi initially denied receiving the diamonds, then refused to testify to help build a case against the dictator. Finally, when subpoenaed, she arrived late to court, stretched the truth a bit, then said being there was a big inconvenience.
Naomi’s diva attitude mixed with her lack of empathy for and awareness of the situation angered my friend who called Naomi an ‘embarrassment’ and said that she’d spit on Naomi if she saw her in person. Her main gripe? Naomi seemingly cared more about herself and her private time than the victims of the war (Taylor is accused of 5 counts of murder, rape, torture and sexual slavery, along with the use of child soldiers).
While I do not condone Naomi’s behavior, I thought my friend’s reaction was a bit extreme.This is Naomi Campbell. She’s a model whose job is to look beautiful, take care of her body, and parade the latest fashion on the runway. Aside from her looks, she’s best known for chucking blackberries and manhandling drivers. Sure she’s a public figure, but she’s already displayed that she’s a hot tempered and endlessly flawed human being. We’d love for her to do the right thing, issue a statement against the atrocities of the war, and cooperate. But the truth is she’s a fur wearing, diamond accepting model–not a role model.
Also there may have been other factors involved. Apparently she initially refused to testify out of fear for her family.
What do you think? Are people being too harsh on Naomi? Or does her behavior merit the backlash?
