Vanessa Williams Accepts Apology from Miss America Chairman over Nude Photo

Kendall added that in the coming weeks, Adeline Kenerly, the runner-up to Cantrell in Miss Georgia will be crowned the new Miss Georgia to fulfill the duties for the rest of the year.

Vanessa Williams has finally received an apology from the CEO of the Miss America pageant, Sam Haskell, 32 years after her nude photo scandal that cost her the title. Though none of us now in the organization were involved then, on behalf of today’s organization, I want to apologize. Williams served as the pageant’s chief judge during its 95th anniversary Sunday in Atlantic City.

Following the mea culpa to Williams, the 50 Miss America contestants were quickly cut to 15, as the 35 women eliminated were told they now had “the best seats in the house to cheer on your friends!”

During Saturday night’s Miss America 2016 pageant, Williams kicked off the telecast with a performance of Amy Grant’s “Oh How The Years Go By”, after which Haskell apologized and the pageant got underway. Cantrell made headlines during the live telecast for her response to a question about Tom Brady’s Deflategate scandal, saying the Super Bowl MVP cheated. Miss New York, Kira Kazantsev, won last year’s competition. “I’m not a football player and I really wasn’t there to feel that ball”, Cantrell clarified her stance to the Associated Press.

“If there was a question there, then, yes, I think he cheated”, she said.

Some wondered why Haskell had not returned the crown, but Williams said that she in fact, still has her crown. Though she have gone through a rough time being the first African-American Miss America, many people now admire her for managing to work her life through it. In 1984, Williams had to give up her title, becoming the first resignation in the history of the pageant.

“Thank you so much, Sam”, she said.

Now 52, she has forged a career as an actress, with major roles in Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives.