Vanessa Williams receives apology from Miss America organization

The executive chairman of the Miss America pageant has apologized to Vanessa Williams for the way the pageant's predecessors handled a nude photo flap involving her in 1984.

Sam Haskell apologized to Vanessa Williams during Sunday night's nationally televised Miss America pageant for the way his predecessors handled the controversy involving nude photos of Williams that were published in Penthouse several months after she became the first African-America Miss America.

Williams resigned the title in 1984.

Haskell, who was not involved with the pageant at the time, said, "I want to apologize for anything that was said or done" during the photo scandal.

Williams, who went on to become a famous stage and TV actress, says she "did the best I could" during the scandal.

Miss Georgia Betty Cantrell went on to be named the next Miss America in Sunday's pageant.