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Also by Vanessa Williams:

You Have No Idea, April 2012
Hardcover / e-Book

Also by Helen Williams:

You Have No Idea, April 2012
Hardcover / e-Book

YOU HAVE NO IDEA
By: Vanessa Williams, Helen Williams

A Famous Daughter, Her No-nonsense Mother, and How They Survived Pageants, Hollywood, Love, Loss (and Each Other)

Gotham Books
April 2012
On Sale: April 17, 2012
Featuring: Vanessa Williams
304 pages
ISBN: 1592407072
EAN: 9781592407071
Kindle: B005ZOCEBO
Hardcover / e-Book
Add to Wish List

Non-Fiction Memoir

The highly anticipated first book by a widely respected entertainer whose career highlights include The Right Stuff, Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives, and former Miss America

When Vanessa Williams was growing up, she had a plan: She’d go to college and major in musical theater; afterward she’d get her MFA from the Yale School of Drama, and then she would embark on a successful career on Broadway. And to make sure she stayed on that path, her mother, Helen Williams, gave her a list of things that she should never— ever—do.  Near the top of that list was “never ever pose nude for anyone.”  So when Vanessa became the first African-American woman to win the title of Miss America in September 1983 (an accomplishment that she never planned for or desired), only to be forced to resign ten months later due to a nude photo scandal, the lives of both Vanessa and Helen took an unexpected turn.  But Vanessa survived this setback, and many others to come, to enjoy a thirty-plus-year career as an award-winning singer and actress. Vanessa has been asked to write her memoir many times, but only now—with the help of her mother—is she ready to tell her story.

Vanessa grew up in Millwood, New York, part of one of the town’s only black families. As a teenager, Vanessa defied Helen, flirting with boys, drinking, and smoking pot.  But despite their early conflicts, Helen has always ardently protected her daughter, staying in contact with the FBI about the multiple death threats Vanessa received after being crowned and being there for her during the dissolution of her two marriages.

Now the mother of four children, Vanessa describes how she’s made it through the ups and downs of her life as well as her career.  Jointly written by Vanessa and Helen and filled with dozens of personal family photos and mementos, You Have No Idea is an empowering celebration of the love between a mother and daughter and the life of a woman who beat the odds to achieve her destiny

Media Buzz

Rachael Ray - July 23, 2013
Rachael Ray - May 10, 2013
Access Hollywood - May 31, 2012
Ellen Degeneres - May 30, 2012
Extra - May 2, 2012
Rachael Ray - April 25, 2012
Access Hollywood - April 20, 2012
Access Hollywood - April 17, 2012