Vanessa Williams breaks silence on secret divorce from third husband Jim Skrip in 2021: 'I love my freedom'

Vanessa Williams revealed in a new interview that her third marriage to businessman Jim Skrip actually quietly ended three years ago.

The actress and singer, 61, married the Buffalo-born businessman in 2015, after they first met on a Nile River cruise in Egypt, but they amicably parted ways in 2021.

The star told People that while their marriage came to an end in secret years ago, she was very happy with her life, and didn't really admit to being in a relationship with anyone else presently.

"I'm doing what I love, and I'm in love with life," Vanessa said when asked if she was in love with someone else at the moment. "There is not one person that I'm in love with, but I'm in love with everybody."

When asked how someone could catch her eye now, she responded: "My orbit's not like you need a special pass to get in. I finish my show, I go out and sign autographs and I talk to people. I'm pretty open."

The former Miss America continued: "I love my freedom. I love being alive, having options in my life, and being surrounded by beautiful things, great people, and wonderful opportunities."

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The Desperate Housewives star has been married three times — before Jim Skrelp, she was married to PR specialist Ramon Hervey II from 1987-1999 after he was hired to revive her career following the Miss America resignation, and then to NBA star Rick Fox from 1999-2004.

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She is also a mom of four, sharing children Melanie, 37, Jillian, 35, and Devin, 31, with Ramon, and daughter Sasha, 24, with Rick. In fact, her second ex-husband also had a cameo in the show Ugly Betty , in which she played the main antagonist Wilhelmina Slater from 2006-2010.

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STAR REELS

Vanessa spoke with the publication about the moment she asked her ex to appear on the show with her and the reaction it evoked, explaining: "I said, 'Would you play my bodyguard?' And he's like, 'Sure.'"

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"So he shows up and everyone's like, 'Oh my God, they're divorced, but they're playing together in Ugly Betty '. That's a perfect example of the past, the present, the personal, the business, the show business, working together, and knowing that can all be synchronistically aligned and work."

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Vanessa and Jim tied the knot in 2015 in a church decked out with Moroccan lanterns, lush flowers, gold and ivory tents, and much more to fit their Egyptian theme, a nod to where they first met and when their love story began.

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They celebrated their first wedding anniversary in 2016 by walking down the aisle once again, this time in her own church for a Catholic ceremony.

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The "Save the Best for Last" singer gushed about her husband at the time to the publication , saying: "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."