Miss America 1984 Vanessa Williams Update: Nude Scandal Judge Returns To The Pageant After 32 Years
Miss America 1984, Vanessa Williams was the first African American to receive the crown. But, she was forced to resign from her duties 10 months into her reign, after a series of nude photos (snapped before she received her title) surfaced. They had been allegedly sold to the Penthouse magazine without her consent, Variety reported.
"For years, I'd walk into an audition and feel the judgment," Vanessa told People in 2012. She added, "I was a scandalous "Miss America. Vanessa the Undressa." But I silently thought, one day you'll see what I'm made of."
After the "Nude Scandal," Miss America 1984 Vanessa Williams proved her mettle in the music industry. She has received 11 Grammy Award nominations and has become a known TV celebrity. She has featured on popular TV series like "Ugly Betty" and "Desperate Housewives." She is an equal rights advocate, who has taken a strong stand for the LGBT communities and minorities. She had also been honored with the "Human Rights Campaign's Ally for Equality Award for her humanitarian contributions," Variety reported.
"She went on to conquer the worlds of music, Broadway, television, and film," Sam Haskell, the executive chairman and CEO of the Miss America Organization said. He added, "It is a great honor to welcome her back to the competition as our head judge."
Miss America 1984, Vanessa Williams would be joined by Brett Eldredge, Danica McKellar, Taya Kyle, Kevin O'Leary, Zendaya and Amy Purdy as fellow judges.
Miss America 2015 beauty pageant would be hosted by "Dancing with the Stars" alum Brooke Bruke-Charvet and Chris Harrison of "The Bachelor's" fame. Nick Jonas would be acting as the official music curator for the show.
Miss America competition with Miss America 1984, Vanessa Williams as the judge would be aired on September 13, 2015 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. It is bound to face a stiff competition from "Sunday Night Football," which would be aired on NBC.
Oh how the years go by... back to Convention Hall after 32 years to judge the #MissAmerica pageant this Sunday night at 9|8c on ABC.
— Vanessa Williams (@VWOfficial) September 8, 2015
