The nightmare doesn't seem to end for 'Ugly Betty' star Vanessa Williams, as the former beauty queen's nude photos which cost her the title of Miss America have been put on auction online.
Thenightmare doesn't seem to end for 'Ugly Betty' star Vanessa Williams, as theformer beauty queen's nude photos which cost her the title of Miss America havebeen put on auction online. The starting bid for theallegedly original negatives of the photos on eBay.com is USD 200,000, and has atermination date of September 1, reportedRadaronline. The first African-Americanwoman to win the title, Williams was dethroned ten months later when it came topublic that publisher of Penthouse magazine Bob Guccione had paid photographerTom Chiapel for the rights to the nude photographs.
The nude photos were taken byChiapel when Williams was working for him two years before she entered the MissAmerica title. They led her into so much controversy that she had to give up thetitle altogether.
Williamsclaimed the photos were personal and was under the assumption that they had beendestroyed, also said that she'd never given consent for their sale. The auctionitems include all 156 negatives of the photos, and an alleged signed releaseform. Even after the scandal,Williams rebounded with a multi-dimensional career as a singer, songwriter andactress.