Will Smith Slap, Ricky Martin's Incest Rumor, Kanye West's Fall and the Biggest Celebrity Stories of 2022

While it is not surprising to see top Hollywood celebrities misbehave, no one expected the infamous Will Smith slap at the Oscars.

Well, the Oscar winner has publicly apologized more than once for his behavior.

But it was a different story for the controversial rapper, Kanye West, whose antisemitic comments went too far and refused to apologize.

Meanwhile, the spectacular defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, which gave viewers of the series a range of emotions, also dominated the Hollywood news cycle this year.

Without further ado, here are the biggest celebrity stories of 2022.

Will Smith Oscars Slap

The only thing anyone can remember about the 94th Academy Awards is when Will Smith slap Chris Rock's face after joking about his wife's hair loss.

Then, 40 minutes later, Smith gave an equally strange acceptance speech for best actor, in which he portrayed himself as a guardian and argued sadly that "love will make you do crazy things."

That smack spawned countless online discussions about Black masculinity, including memes, tweets, and far-reaching newspaper articles.

The Guardian noted that a rush of celebrity endorsements and attacks ensued, with many famous faces siding with either Team Rock or Team Smith.

Smith has spent most of the past year "working on himself" and offering apologies.

The day following the Academy Awards, a written apology was posted on Instagram.

A few months later, Smith also recorded a video apology addressed to Rock.

Jada Smith, Smith's wife and the intended recipient of the joke pleaded for peace between her husband and Rock in June.

The Academy is one organization that has taken swift action.

In April, the Academy apologized for handling the case and declared that Smith would be barred from attending the Oscars and other Academy events for the next decade.

Before the year was over, Rock announced that the Academy had also invited him to host the 2023 Oscars.

But He said he did not want to go back because it would be too much like going back to where the crime was committed.

On the other hand, Emancipation has received positive reviews despite the scandalous Will Smith slap, which could create problematic situations if it is nominated for any awards this season.

As scheduled, Emancipation premiered on December 2 at select locations in the United States. It then made its way to Apple TV+ a week later.

Kanye West Downfall

Kanye West caused a stir in October 2022 by, among other things, wearing a "White Lives Matter" T-shirt to Paris Fashion Week and making anti-Semitic comments online.

Several influential brands and athletes who had previously collaborated with the American rapper severed ties with him in the days that followed. Several social media platforms also banned him.

Moreover, Forbes has removed West from their list of billionaires even though he owns some of the costliest goods in the world, including ranches and a Boeing 747, per Yahoo.

Kanye West's Donda fell when Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown and Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald announced they were leaving the agency.

Gap gets rid of all Yeezy products.

Adidas, Vogue and Anna Wintour, and Balenciaga and Kering ended their relationship with the controversial rapper.

Sketchers escorted him out of their office before he even proposed a partnership.

West and Kim Kardashian have settled their divorce, agreeing to pay Kim $200,000 per month in child support.

After his misfortunes, almost all his friends and associates abandoned him, except for a loose collection of white nationalists and Elon Musk.

Greenberg Traurig LLP, which has defended West in cases ranging from sour business dealings to allegations of stolen musical samples, has also announced that it is severing connections with West because of his behavior.

Unfortunately, Kanye West has disappeared, and they cannot inform him that they no longer act on his behalf.

Business Insider reviewed a letter sent by the company's lawyer to a federal judge on December 12 in which he said that the company had been unable to contact its client.

Additionally, Judge Analisa Torres ruled that the company could only formally dismiss West once they presented him with her decision permitting them to withdraw.

At the same time, Ali Alexander, a former "Stop the Steal" campaigner now an adviser for the West, said Thursday afternoon that the West was not missing and that the reports of his disappearance were "just more fake tweets," said The Daily Beast.

Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard

In June, a seven-person jury found in favor of Johnny Depp, ending his defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard.

Their relationship began over a decade ago, but it appeared to have been a toxic marriage.

Their 2016 divorce was finalized.

In 2018, Heard and Depp went to court over an op-ed she published for The Washington Post in which she discussed her experience with domestic violence without naming Depp.

Depp filed a lawsuit seeking $50,000,000 in damages.

The jury unanimously decided that Heard's abuse charges against Depp were unfounded and that she knew her allegations were fabricated when she published her article in 2018.

According to the verdict, Heard wrote her op-ed with malicious intent. In Depp's defamation case, the jury awarded him $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive penalties.

Heard countersued for $100 million, claiming she had only fought with Depp in self-defense or to protect her younger sister.

When Heard filed her countersuit against Depp, she focused on three statements Waldman made to the Daily Mail in 2020 in which he called Heard's allegations of abuse a "hoax."

One defamation claim against Heard was determined to be justified, with the jury deciding that Depp was responsible for it through Waldman.

Heard was granted $2 million in compensatory damages from the jury, but no punitive damages were given.

Fast forward to June 1, the jury deliberates and reaches a decision in Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard case.

NBC News noted that Depp was awarded $5 million in punitive damages and $10 million in compensatory damages after a jury found Heard guilty of defaming him.

Heard was also given $2 million in compensatory damages for her counterclaim but no punitive damages.

Considering the verdict, Depp has said, "the jury gave me my life back."

Heard has expressed heartbreak over this decision.

Heard revealed the settlement of the defamation suit in an Instagram post on December 19.

Ricky Martin's Incest and Abuse allegations

According to a statement released to E! News on July 15 from the pop star's attorney Marty Singer, "Ricky Martin has, of course, never been-and would never be-involved in any sexual or romantic relationship with his nephew. The idea is not only untrue, it is disgusting."

The 50-year-old artist has not been taken into custody or charged with any offense.

According to several sources, the maximum sentence for incest in Puerto Rico, where he currently resides, is fifty years in jail.

Martin had been the subject of a temporary family violence court order in Puerto Rico earlier that month.

According to the restraining order, the petitioner, Dennis Yadiel Sanchez, dated the singer for seven months before they broke up.

The petition states that Martin, whose actual name is Enrique José Martin Morales, repeatedly called the petitioner and was spotted lurking near his home on at least three separate occasions.

However, Eric Martin, Ricky Martin's brother, said their nephew suffered from "mental problems."

The nephew has withdrawn his case, thus, the court has dismissed it out.

Meanwhile, Martin decided to cut ties with his family for the holidays to protect himself from more disappointment, Music Times reported.

In a $20 million lawsuit filed in September, Ricky Martin claimed that Sanchez's false statements had cost him lucrative concert gigs.

Queen Elizabeth II's Death

After 70 years as monarch, Britain's longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away at 96 at Balmoral.

She peacefully passed at her Scottish estate where she had spent the summer.

Since she acceded to the throne in 1952, the Queen has seen dramatic societal shifts.

Her son, King Charles III, expressed how his family's "moment of great sadness upon her passing" would be "deeply felt" worldwide.

During the coming mourning period, he said he and his family would be "comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held."

After the Queen's doctors expressed concern about her health, the senior royals gathered at Balmoral to discuss the situation.

Following the medical team's decision to place the Queen under close observation, all her children made the trip to Balmoral, located near Aberdeen.

The heir to the throne, Prince William, and her grandson was there, as was his brother, Prince Harry.

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born on April 21, 1926, in Mayfair, London, and became Queen.

When her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated in December 1936 to marry the twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson, few could have predicted she would become monarch.

BBC noted that at the age of 10, Elizabeth, or Lilibet as her family called her, became heir to the throne as her father became King George VI.

As monarch, Queen Elizabeth II oversaw the United Kingdom through post-war austerity, the change from empire to Commonwealth, the end of the Cold War, and the United Kingdom's accession into and subsequent exit from the European Union.

From Winston Churchill in 1874 to Ms. Truss in 1975, the Queen oversaw the terms of 15 prime ministers which she regularly met.

Those who had gathered outside Buckingham Palace in London to hear the latest news about the Queen's health broke down in tears upon learning of her passing.

A formal statement confirming the death was placed outside the palace at 18:30 BST, and the union flag was lowered to half-staff.

Queen Elizabeth II death elevated Prince William and his wife Catherine to the titles of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Cornwall.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Top 10 Biggest Celeb Scandals of 2022 - From WatchMojo.com