Penthouse scandal leads Williams to resign crown
On September 17, 1983, Vanessa Williams became the first African American to be crowned Miss America.
Born in March 1963, Williams is an American actress, singer, and fashion designer, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.
However, weeks before receiving her title, Penthouse magazine published unauthorized nude photos of her. Under immense pressure, she resigned her crown. The title then passed to Miss New Jersey 1983, Suzette Charles.
Williams became the first Miss America to relinquish her title.
In September 2015, 32 years later, Williams served as a judge at the Miss America 2016 pageant, where former Miss America director Sam Haskell publicly apologized to her for the 1984 controversy.
