Celebrity News September 18, 2007
Vanessa Williams on Vanessa Hudgens: 'This is an Opportunity for Growth'
Vanessa Williams is speaking to "Extra" about the nude photo scandal that turned Vanessa Hudgens into an accidental Internet star.
Williams told "Extra," "This is going to be a tremendous opportunity of growth for her," adding that she has "supportive parents" who can help her through it.
Williams also calls Hudgens "a lovely young woman...and I think she knows who she is, which is the bottom line."
Earlier this month, pictures surfaced of the 18-year-old "High School Musical" star posing naked in a bedroom. She immediately took responsibility for the pics, saying, "I am embarrassed over this situation and regret having ever taken these photos. "
Williams went through a similar debacle in 1984, when she was forced to give up her Miss America crown after nude photos - which she had taken years earlier - surfaced.
Hudgens has suffered little fallout from the pictures, as Disney has vowed to stand behind her and she has not lost any of her endorsement deals.
Yesterday Hudgens appeared on "The Tyra Banks Show," but no questions were asked about the scandal.
Instead, Hudgens admitted she's a "hopeless romantic" who has a crush on "The Bourne Ultimatum" star Matt Damon, 36.
She calmly deflected questions about her rumored boyfriend and "High School" co-star Zac Efron. The two are reportedly dating, though she has never confirmed the rumors. When Tyra Banks asked her if she was falling in love on the set, Hudgens replied, "I guess!"
She quickly added, "I'm very low-key. I keep my personal life to my self."