![]() ![]() Williams released her debut album, The Right Stuff in 1988. Although she resigned from fulfilling the duties of a current Miss America, Williams was allowed to keep the bejeweled crown and scholarship money and is officially recognized by the Miss America Organization as "Miss America 1984" Charles is recognized as "Miss America 1984-b".Īfter the media sensation over her nude photo Williams decided to realize her dream of becoming a successful singer. She eventually dropped the suit a year later, explaining that she wanted to put the scandal behind her and move on. In early September 1984, Williams filed a $500 million lawsuit against Chiapel and Guccione. The title subsequently went to the first runner-up, Suzette Charles, also an African American. According to the PBS documentary Miss America, Williams' issue of Penthouse would ultimately bring Guccione a $14 million windfall.After days of media frenzy and sponsors threatening to pull out of the upcoming 1985 pageant, Williams felt pressured by Miss America Pageant officials to resign, and did so in a press conference on July 23, 1984. We were also mindful that she was the first black Miss America." Days later, Bob Guccione, the publisher of Penthouse, announced that his magazine would publish the photos in their September 1984 issue, and paid Chiapel for the rights to them without Williams' consent. But they clearly weren't authorized and because they would be the source of considerable embarrassment to her, we decided not to publish them. There was never any question of our interest in the photos. Later, Hefner would explain why in People Weekly, "Vanessa Williams is a beautiful woman. Hugh Hefner, the publisher of Playboy, was initially offered the photos, but turned them down. He photographed Williams and another woman in several nude poses. According to Williams, Chiapel advised her that he wanted to try a "new concept of silhouettes with two models". The genesis of the photos dated back to 1982, when she worked as an assistant and makeup artist for Mount Kisco, New York photographer Tom Chiapel. ![]() Williams believed the photographs were private and had been destroyed she claims she never signed a release permitting the photos to be used. Ten months into her reign as Miss America, she received an anonymous phone call stating that nude photos of her taken before her pageant days had surfaced. For the first time in pageant history, a reigning Miss America was the target of death threats and hate mail. Williams' reign as Miss America was not without its challenges and controversies. To win a "prelim" in both is a strong precursor to success in the finals.) She was crowned Miss America 1984 on September 17, 1983, becoming the first African American to win the title. Prior to the final night of competition, Williams won both Preliminary competitions – Talent and Swimsuit – earlier in the week (note: each day's Preliminary competitions have winners announced therefore there can be as many as six "Prelim" winners three each for Talent and Swimsuit. After winning the Miss Syracuse title, Williams won the Miss New York crown in 1983, and went to compete for the Miss America title at the national pageant in Atlantic City. Williams competed in the Miss Syracuse (University) beauty pageant when a campus musical she was in was canceled in 1983. ![]()
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