I remember her holding her head up so high. I was so proud of her for saying "I'm bigger than this crown". She's one of my biggest inspirations. She shows that she can excel no matter what the adversity or the injustice.

Vanessa and her family were treated so badly, yet she always held her head high. She never ran from it, she just carried on and proved she was much bigger than Miss America.

The only Miss America we still remember.

That is totally hot. She left in disgrace but returned in triumph. She is a wonderful example for all people

She truly is bigger than the crown itself. She has won Miss America crown in the hearts of Americans and people of the world. 🎉❤

I agree, she needs her title back. The incident was done solely to sabotage her, they sabotage her because of the color of her skin.....

I love the respect and honor she shows her parents and how they have obviously been loving and supportive parents. Beautiful relationship. ❤

Vanessa Williams will forever be Miss America!!!

You can't keep a black woman down no matter what you do to her.

Full of grace, intelligence, wisdom, talent and beauty! ICON

So are they gonna act like she didn't have a fabulous acting career BEFORE Ugly Betty?!

In 2023, I am impressed that she has not gone the route of body alteration but being at peace with the natural process of aging. Vanessa clearly is a powerful person mentally and physically.

I'll always remember her for her incredible singing voice

Vanessa is bigger than Miss America will ever be. Proud of you Miss Williams..................XX

She never faltered! I am so proud of her!!!

I will always love me some Ms. Vanessa Williams! She is like a vintage wine!

This is like the same situation Janet Jackson found herself in after her Super Bowl scandal. The only reason these incidents were regarded as such back then was that these people happen to be women and black at the same time. It's true, in the eyes of the general population they were considered a minority, who were given "exclusive chances" and were thus in some way expected to behave and be twice as perfect as anyone else.

Vanessa Williams has a heart of gold. I do believe in forgiveness but I don't believe that means you spend time with people who have deliberately, willfully and cruelly hurt you. Just keep it moving. Glad Vanessa rose about it all because the pageant needed her - not the other way around that's for sure.

it was cruel for the magazine to have published those photos. But they did the same to Madonna, just right after she got married.

What I love most about her is that she is so intelligent.

Here story is an inspiring story of triumph and resilience. God bless her and her family.

We love you Vanessa Williams!!!

What a beautiful lady she is! Such talent and the perfect example of how to rise when you have fallen.

You go girl! I love her powerful strength of standing strong against all odds. Vanessa Williams and her mother are brilliant by writing a book about her journey. She deserves to be on that panel. I am sure other contestants did and do things behind closed doors too. But they just do not get caught. Some people were mad that she won . Because she was black. Her mother knows best. She said, that when she looked at the photos in Playboy her daughter's eyes did not look comfortable.

'Now a days people get famous that way on purpose' - Kim K

I Love Vanessa she is a inspiration to women empowerment 🎉🤗😍♥️

She will always be MISS AMERICA to me! And I love her BEAUTY, STRENGTH & RESILIENCE!!!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

I love Vanessa Williams she a gorgeous woman with amazing talent she will always be miss America to me I'm so glad she has made a successful career and a famous mark in the world god bless her she deserves it

Success is the best revenge.. such an amazing women

She's a Class Act!

Penthouse Magazine should've been ashamed. I hope they're folding and bankrupt now.

And she still received a gazillion opportunities after that! Love you Vanessa!❤

Such a stunningly beautiful woman

Wish there was no replacement after what happened to her. So she'll always be Miss America 1984.

She didn't give back her crown! She relinquished the title.

Vanessa will always be the real Miss America

I remember seeing the pictures when I was a kid. And their nothing compared to the Kardashians. Lol

Crazy how time can heal all wounds.*

Who knew she was so talent.if she hadn't give up Miss America. Man this woman could dance, sing, act . In my younger days she was on fire.

Vanessa Williams will always be miss America in my eyes....love her music she has always been a strong intelligent beautiful black woman (Queen)she was one of my road models sorry she had to go through that...that was so wrong but I'm sure it just made her stronger and to see the world as it really is she's such a breath of fresh air her smile and those eyes...you've gotta love her💕God bless !!

2020 she is still beautiful and today that wouldn’t even be a scandal!!!

I REALLY ADMIRE YOU MS. WILLIAMS! YOU WILL ALWAYS BE THE FIRST BLACK MISS AMERICA!!! You are a classy lady. I absolutely love how your Mom (second to God) is your greatest confidante. Please love, respect, and appreciate her while you can. My Mom died nearly two years ago and I MISS HER SO MUCH. Parents are our soft places to fall in this sometimes cruel world. Lastly, I find pleasant irony in the fact that you were stripped of your title clear back in 1984 but you have remained the sole winner of MANY former Miss Americas who has remained relevant/star power over many years, even in 2015. ROCK ON MS. Williams!

Yes, baby! I'm like Vanessa... you can take my crown, but you will never take my throne.

Shes so inspiring and she hasn't aged at all!!!!

She is the most popular successful miss America of all time

What's great is afterwards their parents said Ok we still love you. That's not always the case.

Beautiful woman let then hear you roar!! So proud of you hold your head high!!

Though I wished she never took those pictures, it is still injustice, just because she was/is black.

Go 'head Queen Vanessa Williams! I love you smart, intelligent, and beautiful legend!

Absolutely Right!!! Get Yo Crown Vanessa... The Real Miss Black America!!!

I never knew that she was the first lady to win the title, I can't believe it was snatched from her, she should have kept it and she never gave up, amazing lady

She did flourish!! I kept her on my radio as a tween girl in the late 80s/90s and I still looked up to her. I am soooo glad to have been able to witness her class act, drive and self-confidence through all these years.

I just love VW so much. She really endured and succeeded. I admire her mental and emotional strength so much.

Timeless beauty 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

The definition of class.

They did her wrong because she was blk. But she made up for that scandal. I don’t think she was the only one with a past but they hyped it up because she was a blk woman. Look at her now.

As if ANYONE could take away the crown... no one is ever going to say she didn't deserve it

Justice for Vanessa.

Such a beautiful and gracious lady! Truth crushed to the ground will always rise!!! ❤

vanessa rules..stacey dash should learn from vanessa lol

never allow anyone to write your story . Vanessa you kick ass , happiness , success , looking Fablous . thats how its done!

She relinquished her crown to another beautiful black woman and had a brilliant career.....win-win.

Super classy. You would think she was royalty if you didn't know who she was.

Vanessa Williams is always beautiful no matter her age!

Isn’t that funny how they took her crown away and tried to trash her name, but she ended up being the most successful Miss America winner.

Vanessa Williams went to her parents first. Best comfort.

The pictures were not even trashy or vulgar... Some were even beautiful. Half of today's music videos are but not these pics that made her give her crown back. SMH!

Your still my miss America 🥰💕💕💕⚘😘😘😘

Vanessa gets prettier with age like a very fine wine. The scandel was Petty but glad she overcame it all to Still have fame & success & a family . Just goes to show you can have it all. Vanessa you keep going for as long as you want. God Bless you & your loved ones.

I loved the parody “In living color” did for her! Was the ultimate clap back in the form of a parody/tribute!

Vanessa Williams, a real life Wonder Woman. Beauty, Strength, Grace, Talent and Heart❤!

They couldn't handle the black girl magic back then, it hit em too hard back in '83. #BlackMissAmericasMatter :D

Ms Williams is definitely a source of inspiration to me. They put their knee on her neck, but she pushed them off, got up, and came back strong. I remember seeing her in her first music video, The Right Stuff. You could see the strength, the fight in her in that video. It jumped off the screen at you. I knew at that moment that she was gonna be ok.

I've never seen somebody or something more beautiful than this lady

11 months into her reign? so basically she did it all in those 11 months, in one month she would have been replaced anyway. instead she multiplied her fame exponentially, what a queen ahah

I'm proud of her! Vanessa showed them l falled down but I got back up and did better! Yes!

Most memorable and in my opinion the most beautiful and talented Ms. America ever.

Vanessa Williams will always be Miss America in my eyes❤

She sure was pretty amazing! Quite versatile.

People could be terrible she’s one of the most gorgeous women on earth

She is the face of Miss America they will never have a beauty like her ever again

Drop dead Gorgeous woman. Her heart of gold, her deep intellect, and her beauty are all PRICELESS.

Va Vanessa Va Vanessa Va Vanessa .Vanessa with a singing career. YasSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

20 year old handling a press conference like that.... Wow

Hats off to Ms. Williams’ Mom and Dad for standing by her side! Awesome!

Always Miss America to me. 🌹🥰

I love her and she is an example of a strong woman. White people always hating cus we got flavor and color

Vanessa incredibly beautiful woman! I'm from Russia!

Selling those pics should have sent the person to jail

She doesn’t need a title to prove she’s beautiful. She’s an all-time American Beauty!

What a beauty 😍

She looks better now than she did when she won miss america

My crush since i was a kid 😻😻😻 OMG she's so beautiful! 😩❤

That’s so sad to treat her like that way there too ❤

Nice song l am really enjoyed. Thank you. Walt.

Vanessa is theee Miss America. I love Lee Meriwether as well!!!

This changes everything. Intense Model Release Investigations began for all contestants.Hired

Man eff that crown, she had one without it!

Those people now who are still harboring resentment against Vanessa didn’t want her to be Miss America in the first place...They ain’t fool’n me...You saw more flesh in some of the glamour magazines than Vanessa’s photos...The fact that she took them with another woman and society was still taboo about that...I had that issue of Penthouse...Wonder where I put it : /

Incredible story