Some showbiz stories that ruled 2022: Depp, Heard, a slap, royals

From a shocking Oscar smack to several lawsuits, a slew of entertainment stories dominated the headlines, this year. 

1) Will Smith slapped the Oscar presenter Chris Rock in the face for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith's hairdo in a shocking moment that overshadowed Hollywood's premiere award show. 

2) Singer Adele had to postpone her stay in Las Vegas, saying half her crew were COVID positive which caused delivery and performance delays. Therefore. she then launched the shows 10 months later. 

3) Former couple Johnny Depp and Amber Heard faced each other in a Virginia court after the actor sued his ex-wife, alleging she defamed him of domestic violence. Heard countered, saying Depp smeared her when his attorney called her allegations a “hoax”. Depp gained more than $10 million in damages. The jury ruled in Heard’s counterclaim. However, eventually the Pirates of the Caribbean star won the case and is now living the life.  

4) Rapper Kanye West also known as Ye caused immense controversy with outbursts and attacks on social media, including the anti-Semitic remarks, which let to the distortion of some corporate ties-  a move that knocked him off the Forbes list of the world’s billionaires.

5) Alec Baldwin and the producers of the Western film Rust reached a mere settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins,  who the actor shot dead during filming last year. A new Mexico prosecutor is now deciding whether to file the criminal charges. 

6) At the same time, Beyoncé, Rihanna and Britney Spears made comebacks with new music.  Swedish supergroup ABBA returned to the stage, albeit as digital avatars or “ABBAtars”.

7) Tom Cruise screened his highly anticipated sequel Top Gun: Maverick and returns as the high-spirited pilot he first essayed in the 1968 action movie. It till now remains the blockbuster, grossing $1.48 billion worldwide.

8)  The world said goodbye to actors Sidney Poitier, Ray Liotta, Angela Lansbury, Olivia Newton-John and Robbie Coltrane, and music stars Jerry Lee Lewis, Meat Loaf, Coolio, Taylor Hawkins and Loretta Lynn, among others.

9) #MeToo cases have continued, with the disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein serving 23 year sentence for sex crimes in New York City facing trial in Los Angeles on 11 charges of rape and sexual assault. Actor Kevin Spacey defeated a sexual abuse case against him in a civil trial in Manhattan. 

10) The 96-year-old monarch Queen Elizabeth passed away and sent the country in a state of utter shock. Since then Prince Charles was honoured king while William and Kate Middleton were given new titles.