Vanessa Williams Gives Herself 'Grace' Years After 'Miss America' Nudes Scandal: 'I Should Have Known Better'
Vanessa Williams is reflecting on her past with grace while looking forward to her future with excitement.
During a recent interview with 'PEOPLE,' Williams spoke about a scandal that happened in her teenage years.
In 1984, Williams was crowned 'Miss America,' becoming the first Black woman ever to be honored with the coveted title. However, her sparkling reign was short lived. Only a few months after her coronation, nude photographs of Williams that had been taken under promises of anonymity were released in 'Penthouse' magazine.
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Williams told the outlet how "There was a tremendous amount of onus, pressure, shame, judgment. I took all that on as a 21 year old. It was global. You can fail quietly, but that was a worldwide fail."
While the blow was crushing, Williams did not let the release of these photos taken when she was still a teen permanently scar her growth, her career, and her status as a role model in the industry. Instead, she looks back at that time with kindness and forgiveness to her younger self.
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She continued: "I look back at my 19-to 20-year-old self and think, 'Oh my God you were so naive, so trusting, so vulnerable. In your mind you think, 'I'm old, I know what I'm doing.' I give myself grace now, but as a young adult, I beat myself up, like, 'I should have known better.' "
After years of success, Williams, 61, will take on the iconic role of Miranda Priestly in the musical adaptation of 'The Devil Wears Prada.' In the musical re-imagining, the singer will reprise Meryl Streep's role.
"To create a role in a new musical has been one of my dreams," Williams said. "I'm doing what I love."
