When nude photos of a celebrity surface nowadays, it's often rumored that the star may have "leaked" them. That was far from the case in , when Vanessa Williams resigned as Miss America after Penthouse magazine published nude photos of her that had been taken before her month reign. She stood on the brink of obscurity after the scandal but battled back to have a successful career in music and television. In today's society, nudity is much more common for celebrities and is often celebrated. From Kim Kardashian's "breaking the Internet" in with her nude photo spread in Paper magazine to Sharon Stone's more recent baring it all in Harper's Bazaar, there seems to be hardly anyone left who hasn't stripped down. Some argue that Kardashian wouldn't even be famous were it not for her appearance in a sex tape, and most actors barely blink an eye at doing nude scenes in movies or in magazines. Some women take pride in demonstrating to other women that all body types are beautiful and that beauty can take form in many ways. Those who follow Justin Bieber on Instagram were recently treated to a shot of a totally nude Biebs from the back. Comic and late-night talk show host Chelsea Handler has posted topless photos of herself on the social media site to draw attention to its double standard of showing shirtless men but not women.

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Skip navigation! Story from Entertainment News. In case you missed it, a new Miss America was crowned last night — and a former one was redeemed. The Ugly Betty star became the first Black Miss America in , but was forced to resign after nude modeling photos taken a year before the pageant surfaced. Last night's pageant began with a formal apology to Williams on behalf of the Miss America Organization. Helen Williams. I want to apologize for anything that was said or done that made you feel any less the Miss America you are and the Miss America you always will be. Guess it's all water under the bridge now On Sunday morning, Vanessa Bryant posted an official statement on her Instagram condemning the alleged behavior of first responders who are rumored to have.
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Vanessa Lynn Williams born March 18, is an American singer, actress, and fashion designer. She initially gained recognition as the first woman of African-American descent to receive the Miss America title when she was crowned Miss America in However, a scandal arose the following year when, a few weeks prior to the end of her reign, Williams learned that Penthouse magazine would be publishing, now "iconic", unauthorized nude photographs of her in an upcoming issue. Williams rebounded from the scandal with a successful career as a singer and actress. In , she released her debut studio album The Right Stuff whose title single saw moderate success before " Dreamin' " peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot singles chart in the United States in With her second and third studio albums, The Comfort Zone and The Sweetest Days , she saw continued commercial success and received multiple Grammy Award nominations—this included her number-one hit in early and signature song , " Save the Best for Last ", which she performed live at the Grammy Awards ceremonies. Her paternal great-great grandfather was William A. Williams was raised Roman Catholic, the religion of her father. Her mother, who had been raised Baptist, converted to Catholicism when she got married. Her mother played the organ at St.
In the early 80s Vanessa Williams made history twice in being crowned Miss America. When she won the prize in September , she was the first African-American woman to do so. By July she became the first Miss America to resign her crown, all over some nude photos from that were published in Penthouse without her consent. Thirty-two years later, she will return as head judge of the Miss America pageant. Multiple Grammy nominations, Broadway roles, films, a hit TV series , and an Academy Award—winning song later, Williams has made the most of the last 32 years. It is a great honor to welcome her back to the competition as our head judge. She was told the photos she took in would be in silhouette and never published. The past just came up and kicked me. I felt betrayed and violated, like I had been raped.