Last week, Naomi Campbell was forced to testify at the war crimes tribunal of former Liberian dictator/genocidal madman Charles Taylor. Naomi had tried to get out of testifying – but she was subpoenaed, and after all, the prosecutors are more interested in prosecuting Taylor than some crazed, perjuring phone-throwing diva. When I was going through Naomi’s testimony, I noticed that she was contradicting several of her own previous statements, and that her story seemed at odds with Mia Farrow’s, who was also at this dinner for Nelson Mandela in 1997, and who had not only witnessed several of the events in question, but was the one to “out” Naomi to the war crimes tribunal. Naomi had received blood diamonds from Taylor or his men – and Mia Farrow was the one began telling people that.
Anyway, Mia took the stand today and she basically called Naomi out for being a lying liar who is filled with lies. Can I just say? I f-cking love Mia Farrow, and I love that she’s this ballsy. When Naomi hears this, she’s going to fly to Mia’s house and beat her with a bedazzled phone. Mia is very brave:
Actress Mia Farrow, testifying in the war crimes trial of ex-Liberian ruler Charles Taylor in the Netherlands Monday, said that supermodel Naomi Campbell excitedly told her she’d been given “a huge diamond” by Taylor following a South African dinner party in September 1997, contradicting Campbell’s testimony she’d been given “a few … small dirty-looking stones” from an unknown sender.
As RadarOnline.com has previously reported, Campbell, 40, testified last week that following the dinner party hosted by Nelson Mandela, she’d been woken up in the middle of the night and given a pouch containing the stones by two men, who remained silent throughout the exchange. Campbell claimed that she didn’t know who sent her the stones.
On Monday, Farrow, 65, told the court a different version of the events, claiming that while she was eating breakfast with her children the next morning, Campbell bragged to her about the lavish gift — and knew exactly where it came from.
“She said that in the night she had been awakened, some men were knocking at the door, and they had been sent by Charles Taylor,” Farrow said. “And they had given her a huge diamond.”
Farrow, under cross examination, said she “didn’t see the diamond or diamonds” and was strictly going by “what Naomi Campbell said,” adding that the model was excited by the gift, and told her she was planning on donating it to charity.
Campbell testified that she gave the stones along to a friend who was connected to children’s charity run by Mandela. The volatile supermodel did not want to testify before the war crimes tribunal, until officials last month threatened her with seven years behind bars for contempt of court if she refused.
The stones — commonly referred to in the news as a “blood diamonds” — serve as proof that Taylor had been trading firearms to rebels in neighboring Sierra Leone during that country’s civil war from 1991 to 2002, prosecutors said. In exchange, Taylor received the diamonds and other natural resources from the rebels.
Taylor, who’s also accused of murder, rape, sexual enslavement and recruiting child soldiers, has plead not guilty to the 11 war crimes he stands accused of.
[From Radar]
Team Farrow. Here’s the thing that’s kind of awesome: when you watch the video, you can really tell that Mia isn’t out to get Naomi Campbell. Mia is just telling her truth, what she remembers, her version of events, and I think she’s got a pretty good recollection. What kills me is that the prosecution isn’t out to get Naomi – she’s just lying because she doesn’t want to admit that she maybe probably still has the diamond(s) when I think people would understand if she just came clean. But now I’m wondering if Naomi can be prosecuted for perjury. THAT would be awesome.
Oh Mia, you’re in for it now!
This makes me sick..What kind of a terrible person would lie about a thing like that? How important is it that she gets to keep her blood diamond she will basically defend a horrible war criminal.
flying phone alert!
It is not very difficult to take a look into Ms Campbell’s eyes and see zero compassion, humility, anything like that. She is Self, and that’s all.
Naomi’s personal assistant better head for the hills. Who do you think Naomi’s gonna take it out on? Hide the bejeweled cell phones!
Mia could take the phone-throwing ho.
yo! that court looks severe like a heart attack!
this ain’t no ‘court tv’ bullsh%t…those barristers scare the be-jesus out of me!
i wouldn’t have the guts to lie to their faces.
no sir! :-0
p.s.- mia was married to crazy ass frank sinatra and she’s half irish. she ain’t scared of no na-hoe-mi campbell. *eyeroll*
Naomi Campbell is just trying to hide the fact that models like her will sleep with anyone who pays the right (high) price. They are just glamorized escorts. Why else did she receive the diamond? For simply ‘being?’ as she makes out she does, all the time. Naomi has a big idea of herself, but as her relationship past proves, she isn’t capable of having a relationship, and only attaches herself to men who will pay their way to get to her vadge.
Kiaser, Naomi does not have the diamonds. Mr. Ratcliffe handed over the stones to South African authorities last week.
The number of diamonds can’t be confirmed. She may not have turned them all in…
What a thing a brag about… and then lie on the stand. Naomi is certainly a “princess” whose behavior and reputation precede her.
I don’t think Naomi lied to keep the diamonds, she’s probably terrified of Taylor’s people and what they can do to her.
Although for the life of me, I cannot picture Naomi Campbell excitedly talking about anything.
Go Mia!
Honesty trumps a liar any day. Go Mia!
After seeing Naomi on Oprah, I have negative zero respect for that girl.
naomi is a selfish bitch who doesnt give a shit about all those people who died in the process for taylor to obtain those blood diamonds.
in fact she probably gets off on the fact that kids have their hands cut off and are beaten to death at these diamond mines, but oh well she will think. ” im a supermodel, i only deserve the best”
i never hated her until now, this lying about blood diamonds makes me angry because REAL people died!! hundreds and thousands and yet this bitch can sit there thinking her shit doesnt stink.
and the crying on oprah, OMG that just made me wanna to break my tv. i couldnt watch it for more than 5seconds.
Persistent Cat – I think you’re right.
If her having diamonds helps to put this man behind bars, a war criminal and dictator, I understand why she would want to “deny, deny, deny” — she’s fearful of retaliation. Either way it looks like this dude is going to jail which is a good thing.
@Shay – I completely agree! Couldn’t have said it better myself.
I’m not a big fan of Farrow, but I’d believe her over Campbell any day. If there is anything to that saying “what goes around comes around” it is time for Miss Naomi to seriously get her butt kicked from the Hague all the way to that African mine where those diamonds came from.
NC is not afraid of retaliation. She’s afriad of what will happen to her career and her life. She could care less about why these are called blood diamonds because it’s not HER blood! She lied and now she has to keep lying and now she cannot keep track of all the lies she told! She should go to jail for perjury and not 90 minute jail!
Ooooooo, Mia’s gonna get cut! You know Naomi will cut a bitch!
Mia, you better get those claws sharpened honey, cause the Campbell is a-coming for ya!
Mia has to tell the truth in court, and Naomi can’t threaten her with violence over that… that’s a criminal offense in itself. I feel sorry for Mia having to go against Naomi but what choice does she have, she can’t lie in court. Go Mia! Naomi is a selfish b**ch.
Naomi is just evil. Pure and simple.
And she really hacked me off when she said (paraphrasing the quote) ” I didn’t know what they were, they looked like dirty rocks. The only diamonds I have seen have come in little boxes and were shiny”
Trust me, she knows what diamonds look like in their natural shape.
Mia needs a new cut. I think long hair on a girl her age is a mistake.
The worker at Nelson Mandela childrens fund says Naomi gave him the diamonds – PLURAL and they were turned over to authorities. So how can Mia be telling truth if Mandela charity & the authorities saw the diamonds? This guy Walker sounds terrible and if he did committ these crimes I hope justice prevails but Mia obviously had different scheme of events then others – who actually saw the diamonds.
I think Naomi’s reputation speaks for itself. This will be a classic “What goes around comes around”. I love Mia also,…she has been through a lot in her lifetime. Her life long wisdom shows in her demeanor
Absolutely love Mia Farrow! Go, girl!
@ Shay – EXACTLY what I was thinking.
@ NancyMan – Normally I would agree with you, but I like the long hair on Mia. She has pretty hair at least, unlike some other too-old-for-long-hair offenders like say, Dina Lohan with her over-processed bleached-out straw, lol.
Good for Mia! That could not have been too much fun doing that.
Thank you Mia Farrow for reminding me that there is something called integrity (even if you are famous and have money) left in this world!
I’m not sure if she can be indicted under international law for lying about receiving blood diamonds, but given her egocentric attitude, she ought to be.
People were raped, tortured, and killed for those stones. Women and children were sold into slavery. Lives were destroyed. And if she willingly accepted those diamonds knowing what they are and who they’re from – she helped to perpetuate that cycle of violence.
And based on little bits and snippets of her behavior over the years, I’m willing to bet money that she knew damn well about the origin of the diamonds. Not only did she put herself before the lives and safety of hundreds (perhaps thousands) of people, I think that was part of the rush. Only the best for Princess Naomi.
Furthermore, I think her reluctance to testify was equally egocentric. She was unwilling to publicly admit her (inferred sexual) relationship with Taylor not because she fears repercussion (I honestly think she thinks she’s nigh untouchable), but because she does not want her name associated with an internationally despised man. Ironic, because she certainly had no qualms associating with him when he was one of the most powerful men in Africa.
Men give gifts to beautiful women all of the time. It’s like a reflex. They can’t help themselves. Eve if they don’t expect anything in return. I have a friend since childhood who never paid for parking EVER. She just smiled winningly at the guy in the booth and said, “I can’t find that ticket thingy.” And he’d smile and say, go ahead. Men.
I have a diamond on my engagement ring. I don’t know the true origin of it. I worry that I, too, am part of the problem of exploitation.
Mia Farrow has b*lls.
I ijust wonder why Naomi is the only one being singled out. Lots of no-name businessmen are just as guilty of dealing in blood diamonds.
I am still in shock that Naomi didn’t burst into flames when she touched that Bible.
Thank God Mia has a conscience. She’s the one who told the authorities about Campbell’s diamonds in the first place. That is, after Campbell told her she received them as gifts. Without that, Naomi would have NEVER revealed a darn thing. Imagine receiving these as “gifts” and then keeping it to yourself even though these exact diamonds have been used to fuel a ruthless civil war. UGH–Naomi has zero conscience. It’s all ME, ME, ME.
I’m not defending Naomi, she deserves every negative opinion and I believe Mia is speaking as to what she believes is the truth. However, it’s been reported (as others upthread have pointed out) that Jeremy Ratcliffe, former head of the Nelson Mandela’s children fund has handed over to the authorities, three of the rough, uncut diamonds donated by Naomi. Based on these facts she was telling the truth about it being several diamonds – what she called ‘dirty pebbles’ as opposed to one huge diamond. She may be telling the truth about everything else.
Is she still a CU-Next Tuesday? Is water wet?
Mrs Odie 2: I think you’re missing the whole point of the criticism of NC. It’s not about how or why she obtained the diamonds; it’s about owning up to the truth so that justice can be served on a terrible person.
Also, if you want an honest answer to your question, then YES; by not being proactive in ensuring that the stones you wear are not the by-product of enslavement, torture and rape, then you are contributing to the problem of exploitation. Now I am in no way directing criticism toward you, but just giving the factual answer. Most of us are guilty of such. Unless the demand for such diamonds faces a drastic decrease, this problem will not go away.
I think someone else might have already addressed this in this thread, or another, but for those who really do enjoy diamonds, there are some really good quality simulations out there.
Is such a trinket really worth the life of even one person?
Greedy beast. Naomi Campbell has probably earned many more millions over her career than Mia Farrow has, and yet she still insists about lying about this tainted gift of blood diamonds. No one would’ve faulted her if she gave them back and came clean at the outset. Horrible person, from most accounts. What a shallow way to live.
I always thought she was hiding the fact as to admit receiving the diamonds would automatically open a UK tax enquiry. The fact that she has donated them will not mitigate the tax as they were a gift to her and once received were her property.
The Tax implication may well be the slags problem.
Thus she has put Tax over the murder injury or 1000s!
What a few people are missing is that, the question of whether Naomi KEPT any or all of them is not the issue. The issue is her lying about important evidence.
One thing we can do about engagement diamonds is buy fake ones, recycle heirlooms, or simply get another, blood-free, stone instead of a diamond. Diamonds would not cost what they cost now if they were not monopolized in the late 19th century and price-fixed. And the DeBeers cartel also decided diamonds should be always used for engagement rings, and the public bought into the sales pitch.
Don’t buy new diamonds! Recycle, get imitations, or shun diamonds altogether. Other stones are gorgeous too.
Carole White said there were 5 or 6 diamonds. The head of the children’s charity says he received 3, (and reluctantly received them as he did not want them, according to Ms White).
So what hapeened to the 2 or 3 others which Jeremy Ratcliffe hasn’t got/didn’t receive?
Ms White said Ms Campbell wanted to keep the diamonds, but was persuaded by Ms White to give them away, (because it is illegal to take diamonds out of South Africa).
I believe Ms Campbell’s plan on the morning of the breakfast with Ms Farrow was to keep all but one of the diamonds, hence Ms Farrow’s testimony that Ms Campbell said Mr Taylor had given her ONE (huge/large) diamond.
Later, Ms Campbell gave 3 of the diamonds to Mr Ratcliffe.
That’s my theory. I was watching and listening to the trial all day.
Naomi received the diamonds as gifts (albeit creepily), she didn’t ask for them, buy them or send kids into the mines to get them. And I believe her when she said she’d never heard of Liberia, that also means I don’t think she even knew (knows) about blood diamonds. And from what I read here, she gave them to charity.
I highly doubt the international court built a case against that brutal man based solely on the testimony of a woman who received a few rocks. So she lied, that’s a terrifying man who’s done some really evil things. You can use the “do the right thing” argument all you want but until you’re in that situation, up against that horrible man (and his horribly family and minions), you can’t know how you’d react.
these are the reasons I dont wear jewelry.
I’m not a psychologist or anything but Namoi’s actions over the year suggest she might be bi=polar and needs medication or evaulation or both.
@mojoman
i totally agree with you 100%.
I never had before, and when i watched that movie blood diamonds, it just reaffirmed by beliefs.
i just can’t walk around with some rock on my hand or necklace, when men, women and children were forced into slavery to obtain and died in the process.
and you know, i have met people, thank god not too many, but i have come across a couple once and they were like “so we deserve the best attitude” and did not care about blood diamonds or etc.
it just makes me sad that some human beings think their lifestyle is more important than people’s lives.
Uh oh! “Snitches get Stitches”!