Miss Georgia Wins Miss America Pageant; Vanessa Williams Receives Apology
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ABC/Ida Mae Astute(NEW YORK) — Miss Georgia, Betty Cantrell, is your new Miss America.
She was crowned Sunday night at the pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Cantrell, 20, takes over the title from Miss America 2015 Kira Kazantsev.
Sunday’s event marked the return of Vanessa Williams, who resigned as Miss America in 1984, afterPenthouse magazine published nude photos of her taken a couple of years before she won the crown.
Pageant executive chairman Sam Haskell told her during the ABC telecast, “I want to apologize for anything that was said or done.”
Williams was appreciative, saying she did the best she could during her reign as the first African-American Miss America. The actress served as a judge Sunday night.
The pageant featured contestants from all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico.
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