2022 has officially commenced and one word I would use to describe this year would simply be: memorable. Numerous fun, interesting, and sad pop culture moments occurred throughout the year and writing this article has given me the chance to reflect on the craziness that surrounds 2022. So, get ready to count down the top 5 most memorable moments of 2022.   

1.     Will Smith: fight or flight? 

During the 94th annual Academy Awards, Chris Rock made an offensive comment towards Will Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, about her shaved head, “Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2 can’t wait to see it”. This caused audience members (including Will Smith) to laugh whilst Jada rolled her eyes in annoyance. Only moments later, Will Smith approached Chris Rock where he aggressively slapped him on the face. This pop culture moment created a massive debate on social media as people discussed whether the event had been planned previously (which would explain Will Smith’s entire mood changed within a split second). Will Smith later received an award and apologised. Not to Chris Rock, but to the audience for his inappropriate behaviour. This fight response from Will Smith resulted in his 10-year ban from the academy awards.  

2.    Met Gala scandal  

  2022’s Met Gala theme, “In America: An Anthology of Fashion”, allowed the deliverance of many terrific outfits resulting in a mass of dropped jaws. Among the select group of celebs, there was one who particularly stood out: Kim Kardashian. The famous internet star wore a dress originally worn by the 1950-1960s icon, Marilyn Monroe, during her performance of “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy in 1962. This sparked a massive feud online against Kim as most people believed it was incredibly disrespectful to wear such a sacred piece of clothing. It was then disclosed that Kim Kardashian only wore the actual dress for 10 minutes while walking down the red carpet and wore a replica for the rest of the night. Unfortunately, Marilyn Monroe’s iconic dress was most likely damaged due to the ill-fitting on Kim and will now be remembered as a dress worn by Kim Kardashian at the 2022 Met Gala.   

  3.     Johnny Depp’s court win against Amber Heard  

  A six week-long trial that occurred in April had the entire world on the edge of their seats. Johnny Depp and Amber Heard revealed shocking revelations from when they had been married and left the entire world debating who to believe. Recorded snippets of the streamed case went viral across all media platforms, reaching everyone’s devices within days. Eventually a verdict arrived leaving Johnny Depp fans ecstatic. The jury had decided that Johnny’s Depp’s arguments were more awardable, and he ended up getting the justice he claimed he very much deserved.   

4.     The end of a Royal era 

  The world was shaken to its core as the announcement of Queen Elizabeth II’s death sunk in. It had crossed lots of people’s mind that the Queen would eventually pass on the crown to her son Charles, but it seemed so sudden. Her reign lasted 70 years and came to an end peacefully with the beautiful service presented on September 19th, 2022. Familiar faces including King Charles, Prince William, Princess Kate, Duke Harry, Duchess Meghan, and Camilla Bowles, all attended the Queen’s funeral to pay their respects. A march with relatives behind the Queen’s casket carrier and lots of truly beautiful singing and readings all occurred at the funeral. Rest in peace to a beloved Queen.  

5.     Don’t Worry Darling drama … and the movie

  The popular superstar, Harry Styles had the opportunity to star alongside crowd favourite, Florence Pugh, in “Don’t Worry Darling”. The psychological thriller follows the life of housewife, Alice (Florence Pugh), in a seemingly perfect suburban environment with husband, Jack (Harry Styles). The internet had an absolute field day discussing Harry’s acting technique and went particularly crazy over the theories surrounding the triangle between Olivia Wilde, Harry Styles and Florence Pugh. It was rumoured that actress Pugh had a problem with Harry and Olivia’s relationship which created tension on set. Additionally, Florence Pugh was slammed due to rarely posting anything about the film which she’d done for other movies in the past.   

Looking back on a hectic year, 2022 could no doubt be described in many words. From shocking to emotional, the year proved to be memorable.  

Happy New Year, and here’s to an even more memorable 2023!!