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Celebrated fashion model Naomi Campbell, who is currently in Kenya, has had an illustrious life, both on and off the runway.
Campbell grew up living in Rome with her mother, Valerie Morris. She, however, later moved back to London, where she was born, to stay with relatives as her mother, working as a modern dancer, travelled across Europe with the Troupe Fantastica.
Naomi is of Afro-Jamaican descent born to a Jamaican mother. She never met her biological father- he left her mother before she was born- and she only took the surname Campbell from her mother’s second marriage.
The superstar who started her modeling career at the tender age of 15, is not only known for her prowess in the runaway but also for her fashion ventures and acting career. Campbell has featured in a number of music videos and played roles in prominent films including TV Series Empire where she plays Camila Marks.
The 48 year old Model has graced over 500 magazine covers. She has walked for and featured in campaigns for countless big fashion houses including Burberry, Dolce and Gabbana, Chanel, Versace, Louis Vuitton and YSL. Naomi stands as the first African-American model to feature on the cover of Time Magazine, the French Vogue as well as the Russian Vogue. She is also the first black model to appear on the cover of the British Vogue.
Campbell has also been active in promoting children’s welfare in Africa and she worked with South African icon Mandela since 1997.
Anger management
Off the runway, Naomi Campbell is known to have a quick temper and she has been arrested and sued over physical and verbal abuse.
In 2008, she pleaded guilty to assaulting two police officers at Heathrow airport. A year earlier, she had been charged for a reckless assault on her maid after she threw a cell phone at her in a dispute over a missing pair of jeans. She was sentenced to community service- mopping floors at New York City warehouse- for five days; covered the maid’s medical expenses, and was ordered to attend an anger management program.
Love interests
Naomi Campbell has had an extensive dating history packed with prominent figures, with none ever leading to marriage. Headlining the list is Italian billionaire Flavio Briatore whom she dated and even got engaged to in 1998, they had an on and off relationship and finally separated in 2003.
However, the two have maintained a strong friendship and have been sighted a number of times vacationing together in Malindi, Kenya, where Briatore owns an exclusive beach resort.
Other than Briatore, Naomi was also once engaged to multiple Grammy Awards winner Adam Clayton in 1993 after a few months of dating. However, they broke up a year later. Naomi Campbell has also dated renowned American producer Quincy Jones (2007-2011), and her fellow Empire cast Terrence Howard, locally known by his Empire character- Lucious Lyon (rumoured to have dated in 2007).
She was also linked to boxer Mike Tyson early in her career; American singer and songwriter Usher Raymond (few months back in 2004); American rapper Sean Combs AKA P Diddy (2002); and Hollywood actors Leonardo DiCaprio (1998) and Johnny Depp.
(Photos: Courtesy)
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