You Have No Idea: A Famous Daughter, Her No-Nonsense Mother, and How They Survived Pageants, Hollywood, Love, Loss (26 page)

CHAPTER

21

I
rang Vanessa’s doorbell to let her know I was visiting. Then I just let myself in and walked up her circular staircase and into the living room. There, sitting on a couch, looking very comfortable—actually, too comfortable—was this enormous man. It was about nine at night, so I knew this wasn’t some guy stopping by to bring her a delivery. This was some guy who’d spent time at Vanessa’s house before and, for whatever reason, Vanessa had chosen not to mention him to me.

Vanessa was doing something in the kitchen and she very casually—too casually—said, “Oh, Mom, this is Rick. Rick Fox.”

Vanessa said it in a way that implied he was someone famous, but I’d never heard of Rick Fox. Why would I? Milton and I never followed sports. Then Rick stood up.

Wow! He was even bigger than I thought. He’s six foot seven. I think I uttered, “Oh my God.”

Why is he at Vanessa’s house looking like he belonged? Oh no, here we go again.

Rick treated her well and really tried to woo all of us. And believe me, I’m not one to be easily wooed. I’m always thinking,
What’s this about? Why is he trying so hard?
For Mother’s Day he sent me an enormous bouquet of flowers. When we stayed at an Atlantic City hotel where Vanessa was performing, he ordered in platters and platters of food for everybody.

Vanessa is really,
really
a romantic. I can’t stress that enough. She loved that he would just take her away for a weekend. Because he wasn’t playing basketball, all he did was concentrate on pursuing Vanessa. That became his job. It felt new and special to Vanessa, but I don’t think she knew what he was really like as a person. It was like a vacation for him while his real life was on hold.

Looking back, I feel like Vanessa represented a huge challenge for him. He had a thing for her while he was growing up and, it seemed, as a sports star he was then able to set his sights on her. I’ve heard how some of these professional athletes can be when pursuing women. I’m wondering if he just said, “I’m going to get her.” And then he did everything to make sure he did.

Maybe I’m wrong, but as you’ve probably figured out…

I’m usually not.

CHAPTER

22

Even if you have an in with the producer, you can still wind up on the cutting room floor.

—HELEN WILLIAMS

I
peed on a stick while playing a nun and prayed that I wasn’t pregnant.

I was in Montreal, starring in the Lifetime television movie
The Courage to Love,
the true-life story of Mother Henriette Delille. Henriette, a black woman from a multiracial background, eschewed the pre–Civil War tradition of the “Quadroon Ball,” an annual affair in New Orleans where wealthy French and Spanish men would choose racially mixed women to be their concubines. Instead, Henriette became a nun, opting for a life of poverty over privilege. She founded the first African-American order of nuns in the 1800s and became the first woman of African-American descent in the United States to have her cause for canonization recognized by the Roman Catholic Church.

A story of a black woman who performed miracles—I need to bring this to life!

I love faith-based movies and I love movies with strong female protagonists, so I signed on to produce—my first producing gig—and star in it. Emily Gerson-Saines, my former agent, who’d become my manager, helped produce the project in record time. I brought in my brother, Chris, who is also an actor, to play the master of ceremonies in a ballroom scene. My mother was an extra in the movie, and all the kids had cameos. It was a family affair—minus my dad, who still wasn’t speaking to me.

During the shoot, Rick had flown in from Los Angeles to surprise me for the weekend. We hadn’t been able to see much of each other because our schedules were so hectic. So, well, let’s just say we had a lot of catching up to do.

When it came to birth control, I was practicing the rhythm method. You keep track of your cycle and calculate when you’re fertile and when you’re not. Plus, there’s also a great deal of trust involved. “Didn’t you pull out?” “You said you pulled out!” Yes, I’ve uttered those words before.

So when Rick visited, I thought I was safe the first night. And the rest of the visit, I knew we had to be careful. But travel, stress, and sleep changes can throw off your cycle.

Rick and I thought we had been careful. We enjoyed our hot August rendezvous in Montreal. He left to get ready for the season and I headed back to the movie.

A few weeks later, I was running on the treadmill at the hotel gym. I had a few more days left in Montreal and I started to think about what was next. In a couple of days, I’d perform in Dallas with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Yo-Yo Ma. Then I was back in New York to star in a remake of
Shaft
with Samuel L. Jackson. But the most exciting was I’d be on Broadway, starring as Queenie in
The Wild Party,
directed by George C. Wolfe. I had
originated the part during the workshop at the Public Theater along with Mandy Patinkin, Eartha Kitt, and Keith David. Scott Rudin, a big-time movie producer, was taking us to Broadway after he produced
Shaft
. This was my dream—to originate a role on Broadway.

As I was running, I thought,
When was my last period?

I didn’t have any symptoms at all. I just realized I hadn’t gotten my period when I was supposed to. I was just a few days late. But I was always like clockwork.

I asked Gena to get me a pregnancy test.

MY MOST IMPORTANT CALLS TO MOM

• As a sophomore at Horace Greeley High School, I landed the lead role—Countess Aurelia (the Madwoman of Chaillot)—in the musical
Dear World
. It was a huge deal for a sophomore to land the lead, so the first call was to my mom because I knew she’d be thrilled. I think she was more excited than I was.

• When I won Miss Syracuse, I called Mom, who said, “That’s terrific! How much money did you get?”

• When I was nominated for my first Grammy as Best New Artist for
The Right Stuff,
my first call was to Mom.

• When I learned that I was pregnant with Sasha and decided to get married to Rick, I called Mom to tell her that I was coming to her hotel room with some news. I think she had no idea what I was going to tell her when I arrived.

I peed on the stick, thinking how bizarre this was. Here I am, a divorced woman who may be pregnant and I’m playing a Catholic nun. This is not the time.

But guess what? I was pregnant.

As soon as I calmed down, I took a deep breath and called Rick. Would he be freaked out? Angry? Happy? I wasn’t sure.

Rick answered the phone and I just blurted it out.

“You’re not going to believe this. Remember your visit? I’m pregnant.”

“WHAT?”

“You heard me.”

“Really?” Rick said, pausing to take it all in.…

“Oh my God, that’s great. I hope it’s a girl!”

I couldn’t believe how thrilled he was. I thought he might be freaked out, but he was excited. I was the freaked-out one!

Then I dropped the next bomb.

“Well, guess what? We’re getting married.”

I guess he thought I was joking because he burst out laughing. “Oh yeah, sure.”

“Laugh all you want. We’re getting married.”

I don’t think he ever said okay. I just took over. He knew me well enough by then to know I wasn’t going to be some single mother. Besides, he had already told me: “If I don’t marry you, I am not going to marry anybody else.”

I got off the phone with Rick and made the most stressful call of the day—to my mom, who was in the same hotel, staying right down the hall.

CHAPTER

23

I
was relaxing in a nice hot bubble bath after a day on the set of
The Courage to Love
. I was thinking about all the fun I’d been having the last few days in Montreal. I had a small part in the ballroom scene, where I played an extra—a lady trying to find a wealthy gentleman for her daughter. Diahann Carroll, one of my all-time favorite actresses, stood next to me and we talked in between scenes and became fast friends. We’d gone out for drinks, chatted, and laughed. She was down-to-earth and just a lot of fun to be around.

But the best part was that I was able to “work” with my children. It was so nice to be around them and watch them in their element.

I was relaxed and happy in that warm bubble bath, so when the phone rang it startled me. I picked it up.

It was Vanessa. “I have to tell you something—I’m coming to your room.”

Oh no! What could it be this time? All the tranquillity I had just experienced was wiped away by the urgency in Vanessa’s voice. I knew this was something important.

But what?

Seconds later, Vanessa knocked on my door. We were staying down the hall from each other at a lovely boutique hotel.

She greeted me with a big smile. “Guess what?”

“… Yes?”

“I’m pregnant.”

“WHAT?”

“And Rick and I are going to get married.”

I paused, trying to comprehend all this information. Pregnant and getting married? My first reaction was “But why?”

“Because I’m pregnant.”

“So? Do you really have to get married? Do you really think that’s the right decision?”

I’m really not a modern woman, but I just felt like, okay, you’re going to have this baby, but you really don’t have to marry him. I’m a traditional woman. I believe in marriage—I just didn’t believe in this marriage. I didn’t think Vanessa had given any thought to what it would be like to be the wife of a professional basketball player. I was not happy about this one bit.

To be honest, I knew it would never last, so I didn’t feel the need to say anything more than I did.

Rick seemed too immature to me. Rick needed to be the Star. Rick didn’t want to be known as someone’s husband, which became a problem when people would eventually refer to him as “Rick Fox, who is married to Vanessa Williams.” Well, that became one of the many problems.

I kept my mouth shut. I just figured, let it play out.

“Well, you’re the one who’s going to have to tell your dad.”

But as soon as she left the room, I called Milton and told him. He
was very calm about it. I think he felt as I did. Vanessa would do what she would do.

“That’s her decision,” Milton said.

But please! Ramon was thirteen years older. Rick was six years younger. Couldn’t she just find someone in the middle?

When Diahann Carroll found out on the set the next day, she said to me, “WHAT? She’s going to marry him? Are you kidding me? He’s beautiful, but he’s a baby.”

MY MOST SHOCKING MOMENTS WITH VANESSA

• When Vanessa called to say she won Miss Syracuse. We had no idea what this meant and how it would eventually change our lives.

• When Vanessa won Miss America. We had told her that we didn’t even think it was possible, but there she was—defying the odds and making history.

• When Ramon came into the house and told me he wanted to marry Vanessa. I thought,
But she’s so young!

• When Vanessa called to tell me she and Ramon were getting divorced.

• When Vanessa told me in one fell swoop that she was going to marry Rick Fox and that she was pregnant! What? And I had just come out of a nice, relaxing bubble bath.

• When I walked in on Vanessa and Bruce naked on the couch. Oh my God! I still haven’t gotten over that one!

• Of course, finding out about the naked photos. But that could fill a book!

I said, “You tell her that. She doesn’t listen to me.”

By the way, if you’re looking for my big acting debut in
The Courage to Love
, it wound up on the cutting-room floor! I guess knowing the producer doesn’t always help.

CHAPTER

24

Can’t you just have a baby and live together? Why do you have to marry him?

—HELEN WILLIAMS

M
y mother didn’t understand that I wanted to do the right thing.

As wild as I may seem, I’m a traditional kind of girl. I want the whole package. I thought of the situation. I thought of my three children. Could I really be the pregnant single mom picking them up at school? I didn’t think so. I couldn’t imagine being a single mom with a baby. And why shouldn’t we get married? Rick and I loved each other.

It didn’t start out that way. I thought this would just be a fling with a gorgeous younger man, but I grew to love him more deeply than I thought I would. I fell in love with a man who was beautiful inside and out.

Even my mom had liked Rick—at first. When she met him, she was transformed into that giddy teenager I saw in her when I introduced her to Joe, my gorgeous bodybuilder boyfriend.

But mom’s “love affair” with Rick quickly faded. And I blame myself. I committed a major faux pas—I told my mom about a fight Rick and I had early on in our relationship. Rick had accused me of flirting with another man, which led to a major blowout. At the time I thought,
Good riddance
. I was too angry to think clearly and I truly believed our relationship was done. I complained to my mom that Rick was too immature, too out of touch with his emotions, too jealous, too explosive. She listened but didn’t say much.

But then Rick and I worked it out. Mom said, “Oh no, this isn’t good.” And shortly after, when I became pregnant, she was like,
OH NO!
She didn’t say it, but it was written in bold letters across her face. Mom can never hide how she feels.

But come on—I wasn’t the twenty-year-old looking for my parents’ approval. I was thirty-six. Rick was financially established, so Mom knew if I wanted to take a break from work, he’d take care of me. He was not some random guy who impregnated me.