Vanessa Williams Penthouse Photos: Magazine's Most Infamous Spread
Penthouse magazine publisher Bob Guccione, who died Tuesday in Texas, put the magazine squarely in the center of many controversies during his publishing career.Among the most famous was the 1984 issue which included nude photos of Vanessa Williams during her reign as the first black Miss America. She was forced to give up her crown in the fuor that followed its publication.The magazine, founded by Brooklyn-born Guccione, in the mid-1960s reached the peak of its popularity with that issue, selling nearly 6 million copies and reportedly earning $14 million.
"I am not a lesbian and I am not a slut, and somehow I am going to make people believe me," Williams said to People magazine at the time.
Williams eventually rebounded from the scandal and launched a successful career as an entertainer, earning Grammy, Emmy and Tony nominations.
Today, she can be seen as the newest cast member on ABC's "Desperate Housewives" as Renne Perry, the former college roommate of Felicity Huffman's character Lynette.
"It's another opportunity for me to put on the clothing of somebody new," she told People in July. "It's a character worth watching so I'm excited to bring it to life."