Depp, Heard, a slap: Presenting stories that ruled 2022

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

LONDON:

From a shocking Oscar smack to a virtual ABBA performance on stage, a slew of entertainment stories dominated the headlines this year. Below are some of the biggest.

* Will Smith slapped Oscar presenter Chris Rock in the face for making a joke about his wife’s hairdo in a shocking moment that overshadowed Hollywood’s premier awards show. Smith won Best Actor.

* A tearful Adele postponed her stay in Las Vegas the day before the concerts began, saying half her crew has Covid-19 and the pandemic has caused delivery delays. She launched the shows 10 months later.

* Johnny Depp and Amber Heard have faced each other in a Virginia court after the actor sued his ex-wife, alleging she defamed him when a newspaper opined that she described himself as “a public figure who committed domestic violence.” represents”. Heard countered, saying Depp smeared her when his attorney called her allegations a “hoax”. Depp won more than $10 million in damages. The jury ruled in Heard’s counterclaim.

* #MeToo cases have continued, with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who is currently serving a 23-year sentence for sex crimes in New York, facing trial in Los Angeles on 11 charges of rape and sexual assault. Four have since been released. He has pleaded not guilty. Actor Kevin Spacey has defeated a sexual abuse case against him in a civil trial in Manhattan. He appeared in court in the UK to plead not guilty to sex offense allegations dating back almost 20 years.

* Rapper Kanye West, now Ye, caused controversy with outbursts on social media, including anti-Semitic remarks, which led to the ending of some corporate ties – a move that knocked him off the Forbes list of the world’s billionaires.

* Alec Baldwin and the producers of the western film Rust have reached a 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 deciding whether to file criminal charges.

* Beyonce, Rihanna and Britney Spears made comebacks with new music. Kate Bush topped the charts with “Running Up That Hill” when the 1985 song enjoyed a resurgence thanks to the Netflix show Stranger Things. Swedish supergroup ABBA returned to the stage, albeit as digital avatars or “ABBAtars”.

* Tom Cruise has premiered his highly anticipated sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, and returns as the high-spirited pilot he first played in the 1986 action film. Maverick remains the biggest film of 2022, grossing $1.48 billion worldwide.

* 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.

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