Campbell dropped from Mandela event

8:14am Thursday 26th June 2008

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Naomi Campbell has been dropped from appearing at Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday concert over her air rage conviction, according to reports.

The former South African president is said to have had a say in the decision over Friday night's Hyde Park event.

The Streatham-born supermodel, who calls Mandela her "grandfather", was on a list of celebrities who could be approached to introduce acts at the concert. But the 38-year-old is believed to have been removed from the list following her arrest at Heathrow, when she was wearing a baseball cap with Mandela's prison number 46664 on it.

A source close to the concert said: "Naomi was on the list of potential people who would be asked to introduce the acts. She has done a lot of stuff in the past for Mandela's charity, 46664.

"But people were disappointed by what happened - in the past she had spoken to Mandela about her anger - notwithstanding the fact that she was wearing the charity baseball cap when she was arrested. It's not the behaviour of a charity ambassador.

"Mandela would have had a say. It's fair to say he was behind the decision. There's an aspect of him being upset by the whole situation. For the board of directors of his charity it's not the best role model for them to have.

"She will only be able to sit in the grandstand."

The supermodel was also expected to attend a charity dinner with Mr Mandela.

Last Friday, Campbell was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid community work after kicking and spitting at police officers at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court.

The court heard how she screamed foul-mouthed language at the captain of a British Airways flight waiting to take off from Heathrow Airport when one of her bags went missing during chaos at Terminal 5.

She pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer, disorderly conduct likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress and using threatening, abusive words or behaviour to cabin crew.