Miss America by Day

Marilyn Van Derbur had a fairy-tale life. She appeared to have it all--from a prominent family, crowned Miss America, enjoyed a successful television career, sought-after as a motivational speaker, named "Outstanding Woman Speaker in America", married to her high school sweetheart, and raising a beautiful daughter. But at age 53, she revealed a sinister secret of trauma and shame: Marilyn had been a victim of childhood incest at the hands of her father. Her courageous public disclosure changed her life -- from one of celebrity -- to the healer of tens of thousands of abuse survivors. Marilyn Van Derbur had a fairy-tale life. She appeared to have it all--from a prominent family, crowned Miss America, enjoyed a successful television career, sought-after as a motivational speaker, named "Outstanding Woman Speaker in America", married to her high school sweetheart, and raising a beautiful daughter. But at age 53, she revealed a sinister secret of trauma and shame: Marilyn had been a victim of childhood incest at the hands of her father. Her courageous public disclosure changed her life -- from one of celebrity -- to the healer of tens of thousands of abuse survivors. Marilyn Van Derbur had a fairy-tale life. She appeared to have it all--from a prominent family, crowned Miss America, enjoyed a successful television career, sought-after as a motivational speaker, named "Outstanding Woman Speaker in America", married to her high school sweetheart, and raising a beautiful daughter. But at age 53, she revealed a sinister secret of trauma and shame: Marilyn had been a victim of childhood incest at the hands of her father. Her courageous public disclosure changed her life -- from one of celebrity -- to the healer of tens of thousands of abuse survivors. Marilyn Van Derbur had a fairy-tale life. She appeared to have it all--from a prominent family, crowned Miss America, enjoyed a successful television career, sought-after as a motivational speaker, named "Outstanding Woman Speaker in America", married to her high school sweetheart, and raising a beautiful daughter. But at age 53, she revealed a sinister secret of trauma and shame: Marilyn had been a victim of childhood incest at the hands of her father. Her courageous public disclosure changed her life -- from one of celebrity -- to the healer of tens of thousands of abuse survivors.