VANESSA WILLIAMS: Being the First Black Miss America Changed My Life - But Came at a Cost
Great Company with Jamie Laing
Jampot
4.6 • 951 Ratings
🗓️ 21 January 2026
⏱️ 63 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Vanessa Williams is an absolute powerhouse. She’s a Grammy-nominated recording artist, an award-winning actor and a global cultural icon, known for roles in Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives and currently starring as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada on the West End.
At just 20 years old, Vanessa became the first Black woman to win the Miss America crown. It was a historic moment that changed her life overnight. But making history came at a cost: she faced de*th threats, FBI protection and a level of public scrutiny few could imagine.
In this episode, we cover:
- How Vanessa broke barriers as the first Black woman to win Miss America
- Navigating de*th threats and hate after her win
- Singing live at the Super Bowl and the Oscars
- Aging on camera and her thoughts on cosmetic surgery
- What Vanessa's mum told Elton John when they met
This is a conversation about strength, resilience and refusing to be defined by other people.
Vanessa Williams is Great Company.
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THE CREDITS
Executive Producers: Ewan Newbigging-Lister & Jemima Rathbone
Producer: Helen Burke & Rema Mukena
Assistant Producer: Issy Weeks-Hankins
Video: Jake Ji & Josh Bennett
Social Media: Laura Coughlan
Great Company is an original podcast from JamPot
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Coming up in this episode of Great Company. You win Miss America, 20 years old. I had death threats as soon as I won. People wanting to kill you. Get out of heaven. Yeah, yeah. My parents had a box and they would put all the death threats. The FBI had all of the tracking. And I had no idea how crazy it was because they didn't want me to freak out. And people would call and harass them. Like, we're going to kill your daughter. you know, we know where you are. |
| 0:24.5 | We're going to freak out. And people would call and harass them, |
| 0:21.7 | like, we're going to kill your daughter. You know, we know where you are. We're going to come after you. From the onset, I was a person of color that had never been a black Miss America before. People said, oh, she's got to be from the ghetto. I mean, there were so many judgments. So instead of like, oh, I don't want to do this anymore. Let me cry and let me give up. You have to say, |
| 0:40.4 | guess what? I'm going to prove. any judgments. So instead of like, oh, I don't want to do this anymore, let me cry and let me |
| 0:38.7 | give up, you have to say, guess what? I'm going to prove to you who I am. Hi, I'm Vanessa Williams, |
| 0:45.6 | and I'm in great company. Here's Vanessa Williams. You know, the characters that you play |
| 0:53.3 | as well, they're all bitches. |
| 0:55.0 | I would say resilient. |
| 0:57.0 | Thank you. |
| 0:58.0 | Thank you. |
| 0:59.0 | Some photos of me were leaked to a magazine. |
| 1:03.0 | But anyway, I resigned toward the end of my reign. |
| 1:06.0 | To start my career with that heavy baggage was a massive burden. If you had a magic wand, would you change it? Truthfully. I think the reason why I stay so busy as an actor, it's like, what's the next job? Am I ever going to be employed again? Do that always? It's still, it's like in your bone. I love the more. Like, I want more. And that's not greedy. What's next? What's the more? Give me more. More joy, more happiness. What is the more? |
| 1:35.7 | Hello, everyone. My name is Jamie Lang, and this is Great Company. |
| 1:43.1 | Guys, welcome back to another episode of Great Company. |
| 1:45.5 | Now, this week we've got an absolute powerhouse on the show. |
| 1:50.1 | Vanessa Williams. |
| 1:51.3 | I sat down with Vanessa at the end of last year. |
| 1:53.6 | So some of the things that we talk about kind of reference back there, |
| 1:57.0 | it was just before I went on paternity leave. |
| 1:58.6 | I don't know if you know, but I am now a dad. |
| 2:01.5 | It's exciting and tiring. Now, I was completely blown away by her. She is incredible. |
... |
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