The scandal was immediate and devastating. After being threatened with legal action for violating the pageant's morality clause, Williams was forced to resign her title in July 1984, just weeks before the September issue hit newsstands. She was the first Miss America to lose her crown in this manner.
: The publishing rights, photography copyrights, and trademarked branding of 1980s magazines are often owned by corporate successors or estate holders, making unauthorized digital distribution a civil copyright issue.
