Vanessa Lynn Williams born March 18, is an American actress, singer, and fashion designer. She initially gained recognition as the first African-American recipient of the Miss America title when she was crowned Miss America in September However, a few weeks prior to the end of her reign, she learned that Penthouse magazine would be publishing unauthorized nude photographs of her in an upcoming issue. A few years later, she rebounded as an entertainer with the song "The Right Stuff. Thirty-two years after resigning as Miss America, the current CEO of the Miss America Organization, Sam Haskell, offered Williams a public apology at the beginning of the Miss America pageant where she was serving as head judge stating: "I have been a close friend of this beautiful and talented lady for 32 years.