CAMPBELL REMOVED FROM MANDELA BIRTHDAY CONCERT
Troubled supermodel NAOMI CAMPBELL has been banned from appearing onstage at NELSON MANDELA’s upcoming 90th birthday concert - by the man who once `adopted’ her as his granddaughter.
According to reports, Mandela personally intervened to ensure the 38-year-old Brit was removed from the line-up for Friday’s (27Jun08) festivities.
A spokesman for Mandela has confirmed that Campbell will not be taking part in the charity concert in any official capacity.
The former South African leader is alleged to have made the decision after Campbell was sentenced to 200 hours community service and fined $4,500 (£2,250) after pleading guilty to assaulting two police officers on board a British Airways plane at London’s Heathrow Airport.
A source tells the Britain’s The Daily Mail, "The man himself intervened and she was pulled off the list. He was disappointed with her recent arrest… All plans were scrapped when pictures emerged of her being arrested, wearing the baseball cap with the Mandela number (46664) on it. She will be allowed to sit in the grandstand and watch the performances, but that is as far as it goes.
"The organisers felt that this type of negative publicity goes against everything Mandela stands for and didn’t want her arrest to be associated with the charity concert." But a spokesperson for the supermodel insists, "Naomi had never planned to go to the concert but she has been invited as a guest to his dinner tonight (25Jun08)." Other stars due to make an appearance at the birthday celebrations include Will Smith, Robert De Niro, Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, and former U.S.
president Bill Clinton.
Campbell, who refers to Mandela as her "honorary grandfather," has a long history of involvement with the former South African leader and humanitarian.
Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)
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