As 2022 is almost at its end, it comes the time to look back on the year and reminisce about its craziest moments. This year, the media was in a twelve-month-long frenzy over pop culture’s biggest scandals, from raving over celebrity drama at the Oscars to finally having to say farewell to the beloved Queen of England. In honor of 2022, let’s revisit the heat, and take a look at the top four pop culture moments of this past year.

Will Smith Takes A Swing On Chris Rock

Back in March, Hollywood held its 94th Oscars Award Ceremony. Many of Hollywood’s most loved celebrities attended, although the most remembered ones from the night were Chris Rock, Will Smith, and his wife, Jada Smith. The night was running smoothly, until Rock, a known comedian, went up on stage and gave a humorous yet controversial speech for winning Best Documentary Feature. As per usual, Rock delivered his speech with sarcasm and even insults, although the Smiths believed he took it too far when he said, “Jada, I love you. GI Jane 2, can’t wait to see you”, referring to Mrs. Smith who is known to have alopecia. In response to the remark, Mr. Smith actually broke out into laughter, although once he realized that Mrs. Smith was upset, he went and did something unforgettable: he marched up on stage and gave Rock a slap to the face, followed by a series of vulgar profanity. Rock responded calmly, trying not to spoil the mood and elegance of the night further, although the media reacted with outrage at Mr. Smith’s lack of professionalism. Internet ‘memes’ mocking both Rock and Mr. Smith began to circulate, and it is safe to say that out of all ninety-four Oscar Award Ceremonies, this was the most memorable one yet.

The Court Takes On Heard vs. Depp

From April 11 to June 1, the courtroom was in a state of distress after famous actor Johnny Depp was put on trial for alleged domestic violence accusations. Depp’s former wife Amber Heard accused him of assaulting her on multiple occasions during their relationship, which lasted fourteen, long years. The media was quick to take both sides of the case, some siding with Heard and others with Depp, although the majority agreed that Heard’s testimonies were not adding up. People began to find holes in her statements, like when she expressed that she used a certain makeup product to cover up the scars Depp ‘gave her’, and it was quickly discovered that the release date of that product was far after the time of the alleged abuse. More and more holes began opening, and it soon became clear that Heard was bluffing the whole time. After a two month law trial, the media was relieved that Depp finally got the justice he deserved, and as far as everyone was concerned, Heard’s career pretty much came to an end.

Kim Kardashian ‘Offends’ Marilyn Monroe’s Fashion

Rumor has it that Kim Kardashian returned Marilyn Monroe’s most iconic dress ‘damaged’ after wearing it at the 2022 Met Gala back in May. Monroe’s dress, originally worn in 1962, is conventionally beautiful: it is made of satin, is a soft-pink color covered in crystals, and stayed untouched by all celebrities, until Kardashian. After the Gala, the dress was reportedly ‘damaged’: it was said to be torn and missing some of its crystals. The media took this as Kardashian’s “lack of care” for Monroe’s legacy, and even claimed that this was an utter insult towards Monroe. Although, reports later on came out saying that Kardashian actually did not ruin Monroe’s dress, and changed into a replica of the dress for the night after wearing it on the red carpet. So, it was confirmed that Marilyn Monroe’s iconic dress was still intact, although the initial outrage made this one of 2022’s most noteworthy scandals.

The World Says Goodbye to Queen Elizabeth ll

After a seventy-year long reign in England, Queen Elizabeth ll passed away on September 8, 2022. The Queen was ninety-six years old and died naturally of old age in Balmoral Castle, United Kingdom. Not only was she popular among the people of the United Kingdom, but she was loved by the whole world. Watching her reign come to an end was hard for almost everyone, and ceremonies were held in honor of her legacy. Her reign was so long that most people were convinced she was “immortal,” and were rooting for her 100th birthday. People from all over the world were heartbroken when she died, and for a short period of time, the Queen was all the media was talking about: “Omg! Did you hear about Queen Elizabeth? I can’t believe she actually died!” Although this was a short-lived tragedy, everyone, including Americans, will never forget Queen Elizabeth ll, probably one of the only queens they will ever have known.

So, to recap, in 2022, Will Smith and Chris Rock practically ruined the Oscars, Amber Heard attempted to ruin Johnny Depp’s career, only for it to turn around on her later on, Kim Kardashian faced outrage after “insulting” Marilyn Monroe’s fashion, and the reign of the beloved Queen of England finally came to an end.

Between these four, it is hard to pick just one favorite. Sophomore Sienna Kornhaber said, “Queen Elizabeth dying was the most memorable moment for me. It was iconic.” As the year comes to an end, we can all agree that Queen Elizabeth’s tragic ending, along with all of the other scandals, will certainly go down in history as some of 2022’s most wild, unforgettable moments.