Vanessa Williams by Angela George, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
S26E22: Vanessa Williams (A Trashy Divorces Encore Plus!)
It’s funny to think that back in the 1980s, a leak of nude pictures could cause a headline-grabbing scandal, but that’s exactly what happened to the first Black woman to ever wear the Miss America crown. Vanessa Williams, then 21, was roundly demonized in the press, and was subjected to intense public outrage for her supposed transgression. She was even forced to resign her crown, an overreaction that the pageant would apologize for decades later. Alicia has the whole sorry saga, and the powerful comeback story of one of the great talents in American entertainment – plus a couple of divorces!
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Alicia’s Receipts
You Have No Idea, by Vanessa Williams and Helen Williams (Amazon link)
After Three Marriages, Vanessa Williams Has Some Relationship Advice for You | Glamour (glamour.com)
Fox Files for Divorce from Vanessa Williams (people.com)
Vanessa Williams On Her Forever Romantic View Of Relationships (VIDEO) | HuffPost OWN (huffpost.com)
Vanessa Williams’ Relationship Advice After Being Married 3 Times Is Something We Should All Take to Heart (closerweekly.com)
Vanessa Williams gets Miss America apology — 32 years later | CNN (cnn.com)
Vanessa Williams Marries Jim Skrip (people.com)
Why Vanessa Williams Gave Up Her Miss America Crown | Time (time.com)
Vanessa Williams Penthouse Photos: Magazine’s Most Infamous Spread (cbsnews.com)
Vanessa Williams and the declining scandal of nude photos | CNN (cnn.com)