The Best Pop Culture Moments of 2022: Kim Kardashian, Johnny Depp and the Oscar Challenge
It didn’t take long for 2022 to show itself. This year has brought the return of jam-packed events, box-office blockbusters, unexpected weddings, and the reassurance that there’s never a dull moment in pop culture. . Celebrity feuds have consumed social media with defamation lawsuits between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard and, of course, the handsome Oscar frontrunner.
The year also marked the loss of many icons, including Sidney Poitier, Bob Saget, Taylor Hawkins, Anne Heche, Olivia-Newton John, Naomi Judd, Ray Liotta, Takeoff and Stephen “tWitch” Boss. We look back at some of the biggest moments that defined the world of entertainment this year.
Best One Ever
Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars after Rock made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith. Queen Elizabeth II has died after ruling for more than 70 years, bringing huge changes for the UK.
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard went head to head in an outrageous defamation lawsuit that the world couldn’t look away from.
Kim Kardashian caused a stir with her Met Gala dress and unexpected romance. Matthew McConaughey gave a heartfelt speech about guns.
Tom Cruise and Kate Bush have made a comeback. Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars
The winner of the best picture “CODA” was not the speaker at the 94th Academy Awards on March 27. The moment that consumed the audience that night – and many months later – was what happened between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Oscars, now called Slap. Rock joked about Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head, saying she could talk to the ‘GI Jane’ series. Pinkett Smith opens up about her alopecia, prompting her husband to take the stage and press Rock. Smith returned to his seat and cursed the clown, telling him to get his wife’s name out of his mouth. The performance left everyone at the Dolby Theater in shock, especially after Smith finally accepted the best Oscar for his role in “King Richard.”
Smith apologized for his actions that night, both the next day and months later in a video posted to YouTube. He was banned from attending all academic events, including the Oscars, for 10 years.
The World Mourns Queen Elizabeth II
Britain’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, died on September 29. 8 to 96, at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. As the public mourned the death, they also celebrated the life of the queen, who served for more than 70 years. Princess Charlotte of Wales weeps next to her mother Princess Kate, her brother Prince George and Queen Consort Camilla at Wellington Arch during the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on September 19, 2022. For four days, the Queen lay in state in Westminster Hall after ten thousand hours to pass the coffin of Queen Elizabeth and pay their bills; David Beckham reportedly waited 12 hours for football. Many other stars have taken to social media to share their thoughts on Queen.
On September 19, billions of people listened to Queen Elizabeth’s funeral and state funeral. Many eyes were focused on Britain’s new king, King Charles III, and other candidates for the throne, including Prince William and his eldest children Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who all attended the service at Westminster Abbey.
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Johnny Depp sued Amber Heard in Television Defamation Court
The defamation case between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard became an online drama, reviving the dysfunctional marriage of the exes as fans were quick to crack jokes on “Saturday Night Live.” Depp and Heard took the stand in May on defamation charges. Depp sued Heard for $50 million, accusing her of defaming him in an opinion column in which she claimed he was a domestic abuser. Heard against Depp for a statement made by Depp’s former lawyer Adam Waldman when he called his abuse allegations a hoax.
After six weeks of intense testimony and 13 hours of investigation, the Virgina jury supported the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ actor on June 1, awarding him more than $10 million in damages and supporting his claim that Heard invented the statement. The jury also awarded Heard $2 million in punitive damages.
Heard appealed the case in December, and Depp’s team filed their own motion to appeal the jury’s verdict against his ex-wife. After the trial, Heard stayed out of the spotlight, while Depp performed at the MTV Video Music Awards and Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty show.
Kim Kardashian Stuns and Stirs Controversy in Her Marilyn Monroe Dress
It was an unforgettable moment when Kardashian showed up at the Met Gala on May 2 in the first bright Bob Mackie dress worn by Marilyn Monroe singing “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy in 1962. Kim Kardashian is attending the Met Gala on May 2, 2022.
Kardashian has been praised for her beautiful appearance, but there has been some backlash, both due to concerns that she lost weight too quickly to wear the dress and fears that it could spoil a piece of history. The reality TV star said she lost 16kg to fit into a skin-tight bodysuit she borrowed from Ripley’s Believe It or Not, before changing into a replica.
In the weeks following the incident, a visual artist said he saw irreparable damage to the dress, which contained more than 2,500 hand-cut crystals. Ripley denied the allegation, saying the suit was returned “in the same condition as it started”.
And Kim K. time again this year, she showed up at the Met Gala with then-boyfriend Pete Davidson. The comedian was the first to cross the star after his divorce in 2021 from Ye (ex Kanye West). However, the unexpected romance did not last long and it is said that he was confused around August.
‘Top Gun: Maverick’ brings crowds back to theaters
The 36-year wait for the series of “Top Gun” paid off when “Top Gun: Maverick” hit theaters on May 27. The film, in which star Tom Cruise reprises his role from the original 1986, sold about $ million 156 in ticket sales in its first four days in North American theaters. With positive reviews and a worldwide media tour, ticket sales remained strong in its second weekend, when there are usually bigger drops.
USA TODAY film critic Brian Truitt gave the film a 3.5 out of four star review, and our own Bryan Alexander took readers on a flight in an aerobatic plane – without losing his lunch. Other 2022 movies, including “Elvis,” “Minions: Rise of Gru” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” also hit pre-season ticket sales.
Stranger Things and Its ‘Running Up That Hill’
Who would have thought that 80s music would dominate music in 2022? The Netflix series “More” premiered its fourth season on May 27, making it the most-watched English-language series on the big screen. Soon after, the series sparked a revival of Kate Bush’s 1985 hit “Run to the Hill (A Deal with God)”.
This song is used in the fourth episode when Max (Sadie Sink) almost kills Vecna in the Upside Down before his friends play the song to make Max escape Vecna and escape death. After the start of the new era, the song appeared on the music charts, higher than when it was released 40 years ago. It also went viral on TikTok, finding interesting ears from the new generation. Other TV releases made pop culture in 2022, including the second season of “Euphoria,” the first two seasons of Apple TV+’s “Abbott Elementary” and “Severance,” and Hulu/FX’s “The Bear.”
Matthew Mcconaughey Speaks Offensively About Guns After Uvalde
Matthew McConaughey gave a 20-minute speech on gun control, when he met with President Biden, on the podium in the White House briefing room on June 8 while talking about the May 24 shooting in his hometown of Uvalde , Texas, which left. 19 children and two teachers have died.
“This time is different. We’re in a window of opportunity now that we haven’t been in before, a window where it looks like real change — real change — can happen,” McConaughey said.
The actor also wrote an op-ed on the issue and outlined the steps he believes must be taken to prevent gun violence, including requiring background checks to purchase guns, establishing red flag laws and issuing strict rules for access to assault rifles.
Hip-hop Titan Top Super Bowl Halftime Show
In a performance that truly captured the essence of Los Angeles, Dr. Dre was in the front row of the Super Bowl 56 halftime show alongside other rap and R&B icons.
Addendum Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar, Dre have performed iconic performances, such as “California Love” and “Kwa DRE,” at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on February 13. The show also included a surprise appearance from 50 Cent, who performed “In Da Club” backwards as he did in the classic music video.
The Rams beat the Bengals 23-20, but the halftime memes were the real winners of the night.
Britney Spears Married Sam Asghari; Jennifer Lopez Married Ben Affleck
Many stars got engaged or married in 2022, but the surprise of Britney Spears and the return of Bennifer took the wedding cake.
Spears and her longtime boyfriend Sam Asghari kept their June 9 ceremony private until the day of the event. But details have emerged on social media of the “most spectacular day” with glamorous guests including Paris Hilton, Madonna, Selena Gomez and Drew Barrymore.
Jennifer Lopez attended the premiere of “Marry Me” with husband Ben Affleck in February. Bennifer finally made it down the aisle – twice! Lopez and Affleck, who got back in love in 2000 last year, tied the knot on July 16 at a hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada and celebrated again on August 21 at a beautiful wedding in Georgia. “We did it,” Lopez wrote after their wedding. “Love is beautiful. Love is kind. And it turns out that love is patient. Twenty years of patience.”
Heidi Klum Goes Full Slug for Halloween
The model, dressed in a purple and nude dress, walked the blue carpet next to her husband Tom Kaulitz, dressed as a fisherman. With invisible slits in the dress, the eyes and the lips are yellow Klum can make you talk with the guests and the press. “I want to put a smile on people’s faces … I think it’s going to be funny,” he said.