The Nation - News from July 4, 1986

Former Miss America Vanessa Williams dropped a lawsuit against Penthouse magazine and two photographers after concluding that she had signed a model release for the nude pictures that later forced her to give up her crown in 1984, her mother said. “It was a really traumatic thing for our family, emotionally but primarily financially,” said Helen Williams. “It’s a complete vindication,” said an attorney for Penthouse and the photographers. Vanessa Williams, who reigned as the first black Miss America, has since landed jobs in off-Broadway productions.