One Of Vanessa Williams' Ex-Husbands Has Completely Vanished From The Spotlight

Before she married Jim Skrip, Vanessa Williams had two high-profile marriages. She was married to Roman Hervey II from 1987 until 1997, and then NBA player Rick Fox from 1999 until 2004. The truth is Williams has had a complicated love life, but she found it refreshing to be married to someone outside the spotlight for once. "It allows a certain freedom and comfort to know that its private and can grow on its own," she told ABC News in December 2014 while discussing her romance with Skrip. "It's separate than having the invasion of people commenting and being public," Williams added.

The couple met while they were both on vacation in Europe, and the "Ugly Betty" actor was surprised to find romance. "I wasn't looking for anything. I'd been alone for a number of years and divorced for ten years at that time," she told Madame Noir in April 2015. Williams believed her romance with Skrip could be a source of inspiration. "Don't ever lose hope. I'm 52, and now I've got a new beginning," she added. They were married a couple of months later in an Egyptian-themed wedding in July 2015. It was a lavish affair that took place in Buffalo.

Even though it seemed to be a fairy tale romance, the tragic real-life story of Williams was that her third marriage also ended in divorce. During an interview with People in July 2024, Williams revealed that not only were she and Skrip divorced, but they had called it quits three years earlier in 2021. The two had not been seen together for several years before their breakup, with their last public photo coming in November 2018. Skrip returned to anonymity once he and Williams were done, which was completely different than her previous ex-husband.

When Vanessa Williams was still married to Jim Skrip, she discussed how different her third marriage was from her marriage to her second husband, former NBA star Rick Fox — who is also known for acting in film and television. Williams stopped short of bashing her ex, who she remained on good terms with, but made it clear that she preferred a low-profile spouse. "He was in the NBA, which is basically another kind of show business, though it was high profile in a way I hadn't experienced before," the "Desperate Housewives" actor told Glamour in August 2019. According to Williams, she spent her post-second marriage life focusing on both her family and her career. "When I met Jim, I realized he was someone who could be a solid role model for my daughter, who could support me and my career and be a part of running my household and my businesses," she told the outlet.

Little is known of Williams' relationship with Skrip post-divorce, as he has disappeared from the public eye, but the former model has been supportive of Fox, who certainly had not shied from the public. In November 2025, Fox announced that he was running for political office in the Bahamas — he grew up there before moving stateside in high school. Perhaps Williams and Fox had clashed in the past, but she put her full public support behind her ex-husband's political bid. Taking to Instagram, Williams shared a video urging voters to support Fox. "I've known and loved [Fox] for nearly 30 years. As a friend, a father, a teammate, and a husband," she said in the clip, which Fox reposted to his own page. "I have seen Rick up close. He leads with his heart," Williams added.