In 1983, Vanessa Williams was crowned Miss America 1984, making history as the first Black woman to win the title. During her reign, and without her consent, Penthouse Magazine acquired and published photos of Williams that were taken before she was named Miss America. After receiving pressure from the Miss America organization, Williams resigned during a press conference weeks before the end of her year-long reign. Williams is now sharing her story for the small screen, Deadline reports. Sony Pictures Television is set to develop a limited series based on her account. Neil Meron (Hairspray!) will executive produce.
“This project is incredibly personal to me,” Williams told Deadline. “There are so many inaccurate and untrue accounts of the events surrounding this period in my life, and as a mother, and as a Black woman, it is important to me that my truth be told and be documented from my perspective. This is not just a story about racy photos, it is about misogyny and racism and I want to shine a light on that for future generations. I was not only able to survive what could have been a career-ending scandal, but rose above it and have achieved a body of work I am extremely proud of.”
Mark Nicholson, Stephen Roseberry and Jon Carrasco of Encore Endeavor 1 (a subsidiary of kathy ireland Worldwide), and attorney Martin Singer, who has worked with Williams for many years, join Meron as executive producers. Steve Glick, EVP of Content and Broadcasting for EE1, has signed on as producer.
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A Story of Triumph
Williams, not allowing the scandal to diminish her drive, went on to become an award-winning musician and actress. From 2006-2010, she received praise for her portrayal of Wilhelmina Slater on Ugly Betty, receiving three Emmy nominations for her work on the series. Following the end of the beloved show, Williams went on to star in the seventh season of Desperate Housewives. Her feature film credits include Soul Food, which earned her the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture, the critically acclaimed independent film My Brother, the 2000 reboot of Shaft, Eraser, and Hannah Montana: The Movie, among others.
Since 1988, Williams has released eight studio records, earning 11 Grammy nominations. Colors of the Wind, her single from Disney’s Pocahontas, earned Williams an Oscar, Grammy, and Golden Globe for Best Original Song. Although she has not released an album since 2009’s The Real Thing, she is preparing to record her ninth album.
Williams most recently starred on POTUS, a Broadway comedy, and wrapped filming for Paramount+’s Queen of the Universe.
“It’s been almost 40 years since Vanessa was crowned Miss America — the first African American woman to win the crown in the pageant’s history. Her historic win, unfortunately, was marred by the greed of people who didn’t care about the consequences of their actions on the lives of Vanessa, her family and our country. We are looking forward to working with Vanessa, Neil, Mark and Sony in bringing this inspiring story about heroism and determination to the screen,” said Jon Carrasco and Stephen Roseberry, Creative Director of Encore Endeavor 1 and kathy ireland Worldwide and President/CMO of Encore Endeavor 1 and kathy ireland Worldwide, respectively.
In 2015, Williams returned to the Miss America stage as a head judge for their 2016 pageant. During that evening’s presentation, the organization’s CEO Sam Haskell offered a public apology to Williams, saying:
“On behalf of today’s organization, I want to apologize to you and to your mother Miss Helen Williams. I want to apologize for anything that was said or done that made you feel any less the Miss America you are or the Miss America you always will be.”
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