Vanessa Lynn Williams (born March 18, 1963) 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 1984 in 1983. 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. Amid growing media controversy and scrutiny, Williams
resigned as Miss America in July 1984 (under pressure from the Miss
America Organization) and was replaced by first runner-up Miss New
Jersey Suzette Charles. Thirty-two years later, Miss America CEO Sam
Haskell offered her a public apology (during the Miss America 2016
pageant) for the events of 1984.Williams rebounded from the scandal
with a successful career as a singer and actress. In 1988, 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 100 singles chart in the United States in 1989. With her
second and third studio albums, The Comfort Zone (1991) and The
Sweetest Days (1994), she saw continued commercial success and
received multiple Grammy Award nominations; this included her
number-one hit (in early 1992) and signature song, "Save the Best for
Last", which she performed live at the 1993 Grammy Awards ceremonies.
Her later studio albums include Everlasting Love (2005) and The Real
Thing (2009).As an actress, Williams enjoyed success on both stage and
screen, receiving an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a
Motion Picture for her portrayal of Teri Joseph in the film Soul Food
(1997). Her best-known television roles are that of Wilhelmina Slater
on Ugly Betty (2006â€"10), for which she was nominated three times for
the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a
Comedy Series, and Renee Perry on Desperate Housewives (2010â€"12).
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 1984 in 1983. 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. Amid growing media controversy and scrutiny, Williams
resigned as Miss America in July 1984 (under pressure from the Miss
America Organization) and was replaced by first runner-up Miss New
Jersey Suzette Charles. Thirty-two years later, Miss America CEO Sam
Haskell offered her a public apology (during the Miss America 2016
pageant) for the events of 1984.Williams rebounded from the scandal
with a successful career as a singer and actress. In 1988, 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 100 singles chart in the United States in 1989. With her
second and third studio albums, The Comfort Zone (1991) and The
Sweetest Days (1994), she saw continued commercial success and
received multiple Grammy Award nominations; this included her
number-one hit (in early 1992) and signature song, "Save the Best for
Last", which she performed live at the 1993 Grammy Awards ceremonies.
Her later studio albums include Everlasting Love (2005) and The Real
Thing (2009).As an actress, Williams enjoyed success on both stage and
screen, receiving an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a
Motion Picture for her portrayal of Teri Joseph in the film Soul Food
(1997). Her best-known television roles are that of Wilhelmina Slater
on Ugly Betty (2006â€"10), for which she was nominated three times for
the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a
Comedy Series, and Renee Perry on Desperate Housewives (2010â€"12).
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