Vanessa Williams Found Love after 2 Failed Marriages 4 Kids — She Had to Remarry Her 3rd Spouse Officially

Miss America record-breaker Vanessa Williams married very early in her life, and by the time she reached her thirties, she was already a mom of three. Williams has been married three times and now has four children in total. She had to remarry her third husband because of legalities.

Hollywood starlet Vanessa Williams made pageantry history when she became the first Black woman to be crowned Miss America in September 1984.

Williams’ significant win was not the only memorable occasion that evening. Four other African American women contestants, Amy Keys, Suzette Charles, and Deneen Graham, participated in the competition, which was a first in a single year.

Actress Vanessa William posing for photographs after becoming the first African-American woman to be crowned the 63rd Miss America on September 17, 1984 in New York. / Source: Getty Images

The ladies all made a good impression, leaving room for predictions that one of them may win the pageant, and Williams did. Of that momentous achievement, the fashion designer said it would forever be a part of her life story:

“For better or worse, Miss America will always be a part of me. It doesn’t define me, but it will always be a part of my story.”

WILLIAMS FIRST MARRIED AT AGE 23

In August 2019, Williams openly talked about her love life in an interview with Glamour. Life raced fast for her as she married her first husband, Ramon Hervey II, in 1987 when she was only 23 years old and he was 33.

The actress divulged that she became a mother at age 24 when she was only starting her career. Williams had her second child at 26 and welcomed her third at 30.

Singer Vanessa Williams during Vanessa Williams at the taping of her VH1 show. / Source: Getty Images

While juggling motherhood with a demanding career, she worked alongside her spouse Hervey who was her manager at the time. Though she found parenting difficult at that stage of her life, Williams said raising her kids never became unbearable:

“I’ve been a mother so long that it’s hard to remember what my life was like before then, but parenthood has never felt like a burden. It strengthened my outlook on life and made me more ambitious in my career.”

The doting mother noted she had to balance being a parent with her professional life and being someone’s wife. Despite that, her children always came first, and her career came second, “even though I was the main money-maker,” Williams revealed.

Fashion designer Vanessa Williams pictured with her now ex-husband Ramon Hervey and their two children Melanie and Jillian in 1989 Los Angeles, California. / Source: Getty Images

Sadly, that put her marriage on the back burner as it came third to everything else. Williams mentioned that Hervey came along whenever she went to promote albums which made it advantageous to have him as her manager.

However, that was not to say there were no struggles, as she was not present most of the time because of her demanding work schedule. Williams revealed that her union with Hervey changed, and they experienced some infidelity.

She stuck it out for a while until she could not handle it anymore. The former couple decided to split in 1997 after ten years of marriage.

WILLIAMS’ SECOND UNION FAILED TO LAST

Though her first husband was ten years her senior, she had an issue with the age gap between her and her second spouse, Rick Fox. The Canadian-Bahamian actor was six years younger than Williams, who was 36 when they got hitched in 1999:

“At the time, I worried about being too old, even though I was still very young.”

In addition to the age difference being an issue between the actress and the former NBA star, the pair had a bi-coastal marriage. Williams shared that Fox was on the road frequently and that after they welcomed a daughter together, she lived on the East Coast most of the time, raising her four kids while traveling across the country every two weeks.

Actor Rick Fox with his wife Vanessa Williams and (R) his son Kyle (front L) and Williams’ children Jillian (back C) and Devin (front C) during the premiere of “Holes” on April 11, 2003 in Hollywood, California. / Source: Getty Images

The mother of four explained that distance became an apparent obstacle in their union, leading to their divorce in 2005. Williams divulged that on top of everything, she had high expectations from the men she married because of the example her father set, which she failed to find in her romantic partners.

Nonetheless, when her second marriage ended, she immersed herself in her career and raising her brood. At the time, her youngest child had gone off to college, and she became her priority.

WILLIAMS ON FINDING LOVE AT A LATER STAGE

Vanessa Williams attending Build Presents Vanessa Williams, Star Jones, Chloe Bridges, Camille Guaty & Fiona Gubelmann Discussing “Daytime Divas” at Build Studio on May 31, 2017 in New York City. / Source: Getty Images

Williams found love again when she reached her fifties and told ABC that it was comforting to know that one could fall in love no matter what stage in their lives:

“It’s nice to know love can happen no matter what age and that you should always be open. You never know when or where it will happen.”

In September 2014, she announced her engagement to former accountant boyfriend, Jim Skrip. Williams made it known how thrilled she was to have found someone who was not in showbusiness, saying it was “really comforting and relaxing to be able to have a relationship without any added stress or pressure or gossip.”

When she appeared on “Live with Kelly and Ryan” in May 2017, the singer revealed she met the real estate agent on a cruise while on vacation on the Nile in Egypt.

Williams (whose mom is originally from Buffalo, New York) shared that she was traveling with one of her daughters while Skrip, wearing a Buffalo Bills jersey, was traveling alone. She got nudged by her interpreter, who mentioned that Skrip was single and persuaded her to talk to him:

“We started talking sports, and it was my last night, and I said, ‘You want to have dinner at my hotel?’ We had a lovely three-hour dinner.”

Williams admitted that she made the first move towards Skrip because he would have never approached her because of her daughter. The “Desperate Housewives” star said she forced herself to be open and take a chance on love.

Williams noted that when she crossed paths with the entrepreneur, she firmly believed that he could be a good role model for her daughter, someone who could fully be supportive of her career and be part of running her household and businesses.

The proud mother stated it was an immutable fact that her family and her children would always take first preference in her life and that Skrip had to get on board with that for their relationship to work. She noted that it was their “agreement.”

Vanessa Williams and her husband businessman Jim Skrip during the after party for the Broadway opening night of “The Trip To Bountiful” at The Copacabana on April 23, 2013 in New York City. / Source: Getty Images

In 2015, Williams gushed about her man in an interview with People, stating that Skrip was a genuine individual who knew who he was:

“Jim is a real man. You want somebody in your life who has integrity, who is solid, who knows who he is. He’s romantic, and he’s a great guy.”

The lovebirds tied the knot on July 4, 2015, in a lavish Egyptian-themed wedding ceremony attended by family and friends. The nuptials were held at Pearl Street Grill & Brewery.

The day after, Skrip and Williams had a Thanksgiving mass at St. Stanislaus Church with 390 guests in attendance. The bride donned a two-piece silk crepe skirt and a top with gold trim and walked down the aisle to “Ave Maria,” sung by Carmen Ruby Floyd.

The couple collaborated with wedding planner Carla Measer-Costamagna to bring their Egyptian-inspired feel to the event, featuring gold and ivory tents with colorful flowers and Moroccan lanterns. The reception took place at Statler City.

Williams and Skrip wed twice. The “Ugly Betty” alum revealed that the businessman’s annulment was unfinalized. “So, we had to get remarried in the Catholic Church,” she explained.

The second wedding occurred in May 2016. Williams opted for a Pamella Roland gown, which featured a v-neck and a pink sash tied around the waist.

WILLIAMS SAYS ALL HER THREE SPOUSES ‘ARE GOOD MEN’

Vanessa Williams pictured with her children, Sasha, Jillian, Devin and Melanie, her mother Helen Williams and brother Chris Williams during her Hollywood Walk of Fame Star ceremony. / Source: Getty Images

Despite walking the aisle more than once in her lifetime, Williams stated that all her husbands “are good men.” The “Dance with Me” star explained that she would not have married them if they were not honorable.

“I think men go through different phases of their life, though. It’s great when that syncs up with what you want, but sometimes it might be later in your life when that happens,” said Williams.

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