madcomments

Spitting image of a prima donna

Posted in Media, Latest reporters' blogs, Lucy Tesseras April 4th, 2008 by Lucy Tesseras

Supermodel Naomi Campbell has again been the subject of newspaper headlines for all the wrong reasons following her arrest at Heathrow Terminal 5 after she allegedly spat in the face of a police officer when staff lost her bag.

She has a reputation of being a hot-headed prima donna, but it doesn’t stop advertisers wanting to work with her. Last year Italian fashion brand Pinko signed up the leggy 37-year-old and earlier this year she starred in a campaign for Louis Vuitton alongside other (more calm) beauties Claudia Schiffer and Eva Herzigova. Despite her Jekyll and Hyde personality, advertisers know she is one of the most successful and well known models in the world and what she has sells.

It seems a pretty face can hide a multitude of sins. In any other industry she would have been blacklisted long ago, but because she is undeniable beautiful she can pretty much get away with murder (she did allegedly threaten to throw her former PA out of a moving car, after all). If she was a tubby, middle aged woman with greying hair it would be a very different story.

At least her former modelling agency Elite had the guts to stand up to her when they kicked her off their books in 2003 after they’d had enough of her ridiculous demands and abusive behaviour, despite the fact she probably raked in millions for them.

There does seem to be another side to her though. When she took a tumble on the catwalk in 1994 while modelling nine inch platforms she laughed about it, brushed herself off and carried on, and since 1997 she has devoted a lot of her time to charity work, most recently helping to raise funds for flood victims by setting up Fashion for Relief.

But that’s not what sticks in people’s minds. It’s the reports of her lobbing mobile phones at her housekeeper, punching actress Yvonne Scio in the face, attacking various PAs and generally being vile and abusive to anyone she sees as a subordinate.

When growing up she was probably constantly told how beautiful and special and wonderful she was, which when combined with going into the fashion industry at 15 where everyone is so saccharine sweet and full of praise, she was bound to become complacent and egotistical. She’s so used to getting her own way and being made a fuss of that as soon as something doesn’t go according to her plan she blows up.

Modelling aside, she has also created seven fragrances, written a book and released a single which was a number one hit in Japan. How far does Naomi Campbell have to go before people stop buying into ‘brand Naomi’?

To read the related news story visit mad.co.uk