Vanessa Williams with children and brother [also an actor], Chris Williams

Many predicted Vanessa Williams would fade into obscurity when she gave up her Miss America crown because of a scandal over nude photographs, but her star shone brightly Monday.

Williams received the 2,331st star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Fellow cast members from the TV show "Ugly Betty," in which she plays a villainous magazine editor, showed up to cheer for her at the ceremony in front of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

"We were so happy to get Vanessa," said Salma Hayek, the show's executive producer. "She is brilliant because she is so nasty on the show, but in reality she is the sweetest person."

Labels: Vanessa Williams