US singer Vanessa Williams sings the US anthem before the 2025/2026 NBA season basketball match between the Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic at the O2 Arena in London on January 18, 2026. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP via Getty Images)
Vanessa Williams made history on Sept. 17, 1983, when she became the frist Black woman to earn the title of Miss America. But her reign was cut short when she was forced to resign after nude photos of her were released to the press without her consent.
Despite this setback, williams, a multi-talented performer, built a legendary career marked by GRAMMY and Emmy award-winning performances. Decades after competing for the Miss America title, fans still look to her TikTok for insights on aging gracefully.
from her Bronx roots to surviving childhood sexual abuse and facing public scrutiny as a young adult, this is the story of Vanessa Williams.
Born in the Bronx
Table of Contents
- Born in the Bronx
- Musical Roots
- Judged From Both Sides
- Roles We All Remember
- A Public apology
- Vanessa Williams’ Daughter, Jillian hervey, Follows in Her Footsteps
- Jillian Hervey’s Early Exposure to the Entertainment Industry
- Lion Babe’s Formation and Musical Style
- Vanessa Williams’ Career Highlights
Vanessa Lynn Williams was born on March 18, 1963, in the Bronx. The oldest of two children, Vanessa’s parents raised her and her brother in suburban Millwood, where they worked as music teachers in the public school system.
In a post on TikTok, Williams praised her parents for raising her and her brother to be independent, which she said has helped them thrive in life.
Musical Roots
Williams grew up surrounded by music,with parents who nurtured her love of the arts. She played the piano, violin and French horn, and she studied classical and jazz dance.With her sights set on performing, Williams dreamed of becoming the first Black woman to join the Radio City rockettes.
“I was lucky to have parents that not only made their living through the arts,” Williams told American Songwriter i
But Willams’ reign didn’t last long. Ten months after she was crowned Miss America, she gave up her title in a July 23, 1984, press conference after nude photos she took two years before the pageant were released to the public and published in Penthouse magazine without her consent.
In an interview with Anderson Cooper, Williams said she met photographer Tom Chiapel while she was a 19-year-old student at Syracuse and agreed to allow him to take the photos of her on the condition that she could not be identified and that they woudl never be made public.
Then-Miss New Jersey Suzette Charles, who was the pageant runner-up, replaced Williams after she stepped down. The Temple University student became the second Black woman to wear the crown.
Judged From Both Sides
Despite being chosen to represent her country as Miss America, Williams says she received criticism from all sides - some from people who accused her of not being Black enough, and some from others who weren’t ready to see a woman of color in the role.
“People who hadn’t even seen the pageant or heard me sing said the reason why she won the pageant is because she had light eyes,” she told Oprah Winfrey in an interview. “that hurt me a lot as here I was being this representative that I had no idea that I ever would be, but then being in Selma, Alabama, and having police outside
Roles We All Remember
in the early 2000s, Vanessa Williams was a fixture on primetime network television. Among her most notable roles, she went on to slay as Wilhelmina Slater, the ruthless creative director on ABC’s comedy-drama “Ugly Betty” and Renee Perry, a fashionably fly New Yorker who moves onto Wisteria Lane on the hit drama “Desperate Housewives.”
A Public apology
More than 30 years after the nude photo scandal,the Miss America Institution issued a public apology to Williams and her mother Helen during the 2016 pageant,where Williams returned to serve as head judge.
“I want to apologize to you for anything that made you feel any less than the Miss America you are,” said then-president Sam Haskell.
Williams’ mother was in the audience to hear the apology,something Vanessa believed was an vital part of the healing process. In an interview with ABC’s Robin Roberts, Williams said her mother was nearly shattered by the scandal and was confronted with “an unbelievable amount of shame and humiliation” after the photos were made public.
But Williams’ Miss America successor, Suzette Charles, thinks the apology was just for television.
“I don’t know what that was all about. I have a feeling that was about ratings,”
Vanessa Williams’ Daughter, Jillian hervey, Follows in Her Footsteps
Vanessa Williams’ daughter, Jillian Hervey, is a musician who performs as one half of the R&B-dance duo Lion Babe. Williams publicly expressed her pride in Hervey’s career during a february 2024 interview with Tamron Hall, describing watching her daughter establish herself as an artist as “a blessing.”
Jillian Hervey’s Early Exposure to the Entertainment Industry
Jillian hervey grew up immersed in the entertainment industry due to her mother’s successful career. She witnessed Williams’ work firsthand throughout her life, gaining exposure to various facets of performance and production. This included observing her mother backstage on Broadway, in recording studios, and on movie sets.
For example, Williams starred in the Broadway production of “Into the Woods” from April 2002 to June 2002, providing Hervey with behind-the-scenes access to theatrical performance. Internet Broadway Database confirms Williams’ involvement in the production.
Lion Babe’s Formation and Musical Style
Lion Babe is an American musical duo formed in 2014, consisting of Jillian Hervey and Lucas goodman. The duo blends R&B, electronic, and dance music, creating a unique sound that has garnered critical acclaim.
Lion Babe released their debut EP, Lion Babe, in November 2014, followed by their full-length album, Begin, on March 3, 2016, which was the subject of the listening party attended by Williams. Wikipedia details the band’s discography and formation.
Vanessa Williams’ Career Highlights
Vanessa Williams began her career as a model and became the first African-American woman to win Miss america in 1983. She subsequently transitioned to a successful career in acting and music.
Williams has released multiple albums, including The Right Stuff (1987), which peaked at number 69 on the Billboard 200 chart, and Starry Night (1988), which reached number 38. Billboard provides charting details for Williams’ albums.
