The 'Colors of the Wind' hitmaker will help determine the winner for 2016 Miss America more than three decades after she was forced to surrender her crown due to nude photo scandal.
- Sep 8, 2015
AceShowbiz - Vanessa Williams is returning to Miss America more than three decades after she made history as the first African-American woman to win the pageant but had to give up her crown 10 months later due to nude photo scandal. Now an accomplished star with multiple nods to her name, she is tapped as the final judge for the 2016 competition.
"For years, I'd walk into an audition and feel the judgment," Williams told PEOPLE in 2012 of the aftermath. "I was a scandalous Miss America. Vanessa the Undressa. But I silently thought, one day you'll see what I'm made of."
The former pageant queen has since gone to sell more than 7 million records worldwide as a singer. She got multiple Grammy nominations and won one as well as an Oscar for her hit "Colors of the Wind" from the Disney film "Pocahontas". As an actress, she has been nominated for Emmy, Golden Globe, Tony, and SAG Awards. On the small screen, she is known for her roles on "Ugly Betty" and "Desperate Housewives".
Sam Haskell, executive chairman and CEO of the Miss America Organization, told the Associated Press, "I have been friends with Vanessa for 32 years. When the photos were published, there were people urging her to fight, but close supporters knew if she lost that fight that she would be completely removed from the history books."
"Instead of pursuing what would surely have been a long and stressful legal battle, Vanessa decided to resign and focus on her career. Vanessa and her family were hurt during the aftermath of the resignation, and that saddened me."
"Vanessa's career speaks for itself, with all the success that she has had," Haskell added. "When I became chairman of Miss America, one of the first calls I made was to Vanessa, to try to find a way to get her to come back. Her return as a huge success is a way for us all to move forward and put the past behind us. It's truly an honor to welcome her back to the Miss America Pageant."
The next beauty competition will broadcast live from Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall on Sunday, September 13 on ABC. Chris Harrison and Brooke Burke-Charvet will serve as hosts while Nick Jonas will curate the music.
Vanessa Williams join other judges like actress/mathematician/author Danica McKellar, singer/actress Zendaya Coleman, country music crooner Brett Eldredge, author Taya Kyle, "Shark Tank" star Kevin O'Leary, and Paralympics bronze medalist Amy Purdy.
