Vanessa Williams gets Miss America apology, 32 years after nude photos scandal
Desperate Housewives star and former Miss America receives apology from beauty pageant.
In 1983 Vanessa Williams became the first African-American winner of the Miss America Beauty Pageant. However she was forced to resign only 10 months later after nude photographs appeared in Penthouse magazine. However 32 years later the CEO of the pageant has issued an apology.
On Sunday night Sam Haskell, CEO, offered an on-stage apology to Williams after she performed a song on stage. He said:
"Though none of us currently in the organisation were involved then, on behalf of today's organization, I want to apologize to you and to your mother, Miss Helen Williams. I want to apologize for anything that was said or done that made you feel any less than the Miss America you are and the Miss America you always will be."
Williams is best known in the UK for playing self-absorbed diva Wilhelmina Slater in Ugly Betty, and for playing Renee Perry on Desperate Housewives.
She returned to the Miss America pageant this year as a celebrity judge and also sang a song at the ceremony.