Taylor Swift was up. Elon Musk was in, out, and in. Tom Cruise was back. BTS stepped aside, and so did Serena Williams, and Tom Brady too — oops, scratch that.
But the slap? The slap was everywhere.
Ok, so maybe it wasn't on the level of a moon landing, or selection of a pope. But henceforth all you need say is "the slap" and people will know what you mean — that moment Will Smith smacked Chris Rock at the Oscars and a global audience said, "Wait, did that happen?" Even in the room itself — maybe especially in the room itself — there was a sense that everyone had imagined it, which helps explain why things went on as normal, for a bit.
Live entertainment pushed forward, with mask mandates dropping, and people rushing to buy things like, oh, Taylor Swift tickets!
Here's our annual, totally selective journey through a year in pop culture:
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Top pop culture moments in 2022
January
It's GOLDEN GLOBES time. But is a Globes with no telecast, boozy celebs or red carpet a Globes at all? The embattled Hollywood Foreign Press Association, reeling from stunning failures over diversity, holds a private event and plans a comeback next year. Hey, remember the original wardrobe malfunction? Well, JANET JACKSON says she and JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE have moved on, and so should we. The New York Times buys Wordle, and we're all thinking in five-letter words (though W-O-R-D-L-E is six, just saying.) Meanwhile, it's a month of loss, heading off a year of loss: Pioneering Black actor, director and activist SIDNEY POITIER dies at 94.
![Sidney Poitier](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/38/c3804da0-12e7-54f3-9eb6-8c0d254ce05f/63939256f1b94.image.jpg?resize=150%2C120 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/38/c3804da0-12e7-54f3-9eb6-8c0d254ce05f/63939256f1b94.image.jpg?resize=200%2C159 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/38/c3804da0-12e7-54f3-9eb6-8c0d254ce05f/63939256f1b94.image.jpg?resize=225%2C179 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/38/c3804da0-12e7-54f3-9eb6-8c0d254ce05f/63939256f1b94.image.jpg?resize=300%2C239 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/38/c3804da0-12e7-54f3-9eb6-8c0d254ce05f/63939256f1b94.image.jpg?resize=400%2C319 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/38/c3804da0-12e7-54f3-9eb6-8c0d254ce05f/63939256f1b94.image.jpg?resize=540%2C430 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/38/c3804da0-12e7-54f3-9eb6-8c0d254ce05f/63939256f1b94.image.jpg?resize=640%2C510 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/38/c3804da0-12e7-54f3-9eb6-8c0d254ce05f/63939256f1b94.image.jpg?resize=750%2C598 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/38/c3804da0-12e7-54f3-9eb6-8c0d254ce05f/63939256f1b94.image.jpg?resize=990%2C789 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/38/c3804da0-12e7-54f3-9eb6-8c0d254ce05f/63939256f1b94.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C825 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/38/c3804da0-12e7-54f3-9eb6-8c0d254ce05f/63939256f1b94.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C957 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/38/c3804da0-12e7-54f3-9eb6-8c0d254ce05f/63939256f1b94.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C1063 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/38/c3804da0-12e7-54f3-9eb6-8c0d254ce05f/63939256f1b94.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C1177 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/38/c3804da0-12e7-54f3-9eb6-8c0d254ce05f/63939256f1b94.image.jpg?resize=1612%2C1285 2008w)
President Barack Obama presents the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom to Sidney Poitier on Aug. 12, 2009. Poitier, who died in January, became the first Black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the 1963 film “Lilies of the Field."
February
![Britney Spears](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/44/e44fc291-d80e-5b29-a793-f0b49c678d97/6393925cb4137.image.jpg?resize=150%2C106 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/44/e44fc291-d80e-5b29-a793-f0b49c678d97/6393925cb4137.image.jpg?resize=200%2C141 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/44/e44fc291-d80e-5b29-a793-f0b49c678d97/6393925cb4137.image.jpg?resize=225%2C159 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/44/e44fc291-d80e-5b29-a793-f0b49c678d97/6393925cb4137.image.jpg?resize=300%2C212 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/44/e44fc291-d80e-5b29-a793-f0b49c678d97/6393925cb4137.image.jpg?resize=400%2C283 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/44/e44fc291-d80e-5b29-a793-f0b49c678d97/6393925cb4137.image.jpg?resize=540%2C382 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/44/e44fc291-d80e-5b29-a793-f0b49c678d97/6393925cb4137.image.jpg?resize=640%2C453 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/44/e44fc291-d80e-5b29-a793-f0b49c678d97/6393925cb4137.image.jpg?resize=750%2C531 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/44/e44fc291-d80e-5b29-a793-f0b49c678d97/6393925cb4137.image.jpg?resize=990%2C700 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/44/e44fc291-d80e-5b29-a793-f0b49c678d97/6393925cb4137.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C732 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/44/e44fc291-d80e-5b29-a793-f0b49c678d97/6393925cb4137.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C849 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/44/e44fc291-d80e-5b29-a793-f0b49c678d97/6393925cb4137.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C943 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/44/e44fc291-d80e-5b29-a793-f0b49c678d97/6393925cb4137.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C1044 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/44/e44fc291-d80e-5b29-a793-f0b49c678d97/6393925cb4137.image.jpg?resize=1712%2C1211 2008w)
Britney Spears
What would a year in pop culture be without BRITNEY? Just months after her liberation from her restrictive conservatorship, Spears is reported to have signed a mammoth book deal, but at year's end we're still waiting for news. RIHANNA is pregnant! TOM BRADY retires! (Stay tuned, on that one.) TAYLOR SWIFT watch: JAKE GYLLENHAAL speaks out, saying he really has nothing to do with that song, that it's about an artist's relationship with her fans — but fans shouldn't be cyberbullying, either.
March
![Will Smith and Chris Rock](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/e7/5e7889b0-2115-5e48-998b-8ad3f0fc41d1/639392614acb5.image.jpg?resize=150%2C100 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/e7/5e7889b0-2115-5e48-998b-8ad3f0fc41d1/639392614acb5.image.jpg?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/e7/5e7889b0-2115-5e48-998b-8ad3f0fc41d1/639392614acb5.image.jpg?resize=225%2C150 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/e7/5e7889b0-2115-5e48-998b-8ad3f0fc41d1/639392614acb5.image.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/e7/5e7889b0-2115-5e48-998b-8ad3f0fc41d1/639392614acb5.image.jpg?resize=400%2C267 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/e7/5e7889b0-2115-5e48-998b-8ad3f0fc41d1/639392614acb5.image.jpg?resize=540%2C360 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/e7/5e7889b0-2115-5e48-998b-8ad3f0fc41d1/639392614acb5.image.jpg?resize=640%2C427 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/e7/5e7889b0-2115-5e48-998b-8ad3f0fc41d1/639392614acb5.image.jpg?resize=750%2C500 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/e7/5e7889b0-2115-5e48-998b-8ad3f0fc41d1/639392614acb5.image.jpg?resize=990%2C660 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/e7/5e7889b0-2115-5e48-998b-8ad3f0fc41d1/639392614acb5.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C690 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/e7/5e7889b0-2115-5e48-998b-8ad3f0fc41d1/639392614acb5.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C800 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/e7/5e7889b0-2115-5e48-998b-8ad3f0fc41d1/639392614acb5.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C888 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/e7/5e7889b0-2115-5e48-998b-8ad3f0fc41d1/639392614acb5.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C984 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/e7/5e7889b0-2115-5e48-998b-8ad3f0fc41d1/639392614acb5.image.jpg?resize=1763%2C1175 2008w)
Will Smith, right, hits presenter Chris Rock on stage while presenting the award for best documentary feature at the Oscars on March 27, 2022, in Los Angeles.
Quick, who wins Oscars this month? Well, "CODA" does, a feel-good drama with a largely deaf cast, and TROY KOTSUR becomes the first deaf actor to win an acting Oscar. Alas, all anyone can talk about is — you know. WILL SMITH, who wins the best actor award not long after slapping Chris Rock over a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, won't truly address the issue until the end of the year, so keep reading. KARDASHIAN watch: Kim K is declared legally single again in her ongoing divorce with YE, the rapper formerly known as KANYE WEST. And TOM BRADY, retired for 40 days, says, "Never mind!"
April
![Jon Batiste](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/ff/9ff17766-f8cb-5a55-8753-f38d401194a4/63939266d97ce.image.jpg?resize=150%2C103 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/ff/9ff17766-f8cb-5a55-8753-f38d401194a4/63939266d97ce.image.jpg?resize=200%2C137 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/ff/9ff17766-f8cb-5a55-8753-f38d401194a4/63939266d97ce.image.jpg?resize=225%2C154 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/ff/9ff17766-f8cb-5a55-8753-f38d401194a4/63939266d97ce.image.jpg?resize=300%2C205 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/ff/9ff17766-f8cb-5a55-8753-f38d401194a4/63939266d97ce.image.jpg?resize=400%2C274 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/ff/9ff17766-f8cb-5a55-8753-f38d401194a4/63939266d97ce.image.jpg?resize=540%2C370 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/ff/9ff17766-f8cb-5a55-8753-f38d401194a4/63939266d97ce.image.jpg?resize=640%2C438 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/ff/9ff17766-f8cb-5a55-8753-f38d401194a4/63939266d97ce.image.jpg?resize=750%2C513 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/ff/9ff17766-f8cb-5a55-8753-f38d401194a4/63939266d97ce.image.jpg?resize=990%2C678 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/ff/9ff17766-f8cb-5a55-8753-f38d401194a4/63939266d97ce.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C708 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/ff/9ff17766-f8cb-5a55-8753-f38d401194a4/63939266d97ce.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C821 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/ff/9ff17766-f8cb-5a55-8753-f38d401194a4/63939266d97ce.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C912 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/ff/9ff17766-f8cb-5a55-8753-f38d401194a4/63939266d97ce.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C1010 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/ff/9ff17766-f8cb-5a55-8753-f38d401194a4/63939266d97ce.image.jpg?resize=1740%2C1191 2008w)
Jon Batiste poses with his awards at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards on April 3, 2022, in Las Vegas.
It's GRAMMY time, and JON BATISTE wins big, taking five statuettes. The musician's huge year will later include performing at the first state dinner of the Biden administration, for French President Emmanuel Macron. The next day Macron will meet with ELON MUSK (thanks for the segue, Monsieur le President) who begins his acquisition of TWITTER this month, leading to untold — and still unfolding — changes at the social media giant.
May
So imagine you're sipping cocktails at the MET GALA and a musician comes sauntering through, playing the melodica — of course it's BATISTE, because the Met Gala's that kind of crazy party. The biggest splash of the night, though, is KARDASHIAN, on the arm of boyfriend PETE DAVIDSON, wearing the same sequined, skin tight gown MARILYN MONROE wore to sing "Happy Birthday" to JFK in 1962.
![Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/3c/03c2f9e7-d4e7-58a6-886f-ed882101b4df/6393926c7bad5.image.jpg?resize=150%2C95 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/3c/03c2f9e7-d4e7-58a6-886f-ed882101b4df/6393926c7bad5.image.jpg?resize=200%2C126 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/3c/03c2f9e7-d4e7-58a6-886f-ed882101b4df/6393926c7bad5.image.jpg?resize=225%2C142 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/3c/03c2f9e7-d4e7-58a6-886f-ed882101b4df/6393926c7bad5.image.jpg?resize=300%2C189 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/3c/03c2f9e7-d4e7-58a6-886f-ed882101b4df/6393926c7bad5.image.jpg?resize=400%2C252 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/3c/03c2f9e7-d4e7-58a6-886f-ed882101b4df/6393926c7bad5.image.jpg?resize=540%2C341 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/3c/03c2f9e7-d4e7-58a6-886f-ed882101b4df/6393926c7bad5.image.jpg?resize=640%2C404 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/3c/03c2f9e7-d4e7-58a6-886f-ed882101b4df/6393926c7bad5.image.jpg?resize=750%2C473 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/3c/03c2f9e7-d4e7-58a6-886f-ed882101b4df/6393926c7bad5.image.jpg?resize=990%2C624 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/3c/03c2f9e7-d4e7-58a6-886f-ed882101b4df/6393926c7bad5.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C653 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/3c/03c2f9e7-d4e7-58a6-886f-ed882101b4df/6393926c7bad5.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C757 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/3c/03c2f9e7-d4e7-58a6-886f-ed882101b4df/6393926c7bad5.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C841 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/3c/03c2f9e7-d4e7-58a6-886f-ed882101b4df/6393926c7bad5.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C931 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/3c/03c2f9e7-d4e7-58a6-886f-ed882101b4df/6393926c7bad5.image.jpg?resize=1812%2C1143 2008w)
Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson attend The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala on May 2, 2022, in New York.
In movies, "Top Gun: Maverick" opens, the highest-grossing domestic debut in TOM CRUISE'S career, and his first to surpass $100 million on opening weekend. HARRY STYLES fans rejoice! His album, "Harry's House," is here.
June
Stunning news for the global fanbase of BTS as the K-pop supergroup announces it's taking a break to focus on members' solo projects. On the legal front, a Virginia jury hands JOHNNY DEPP a victory in his very messy libel case over allegations of domestic abuse, finding that former wife HEARD defamed him in a 2018 op-ed. On a happier note, Britney gets married….
![Johnny Depp](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/de/7de7fbca-aabb-5363-aa92-73aa010b22ae/63939271d0b70.image.jpg?resize=150%2C100 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/de/7de7fbca-aabb-5363-aa92-73aa010b22ae/63939271d0b70.image.jpg?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/de/7de7fbca-aabb-5363-aa92-73aa010b22ae/63939271d0b70.image.jpg?resize=225%2C150 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/de/7de7fbca-aabb-5363-aa92-73aa010b22ae/63939271d0b70.image.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/de/7de7fbca-aabb-5363-aa92-73aa010b22ae/63939271d0b70.image.jpg?resize=400%2C266 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/de/7de7fbca-aabb-5363-aa92-73aa010b22ae/63939271d0b70.image.jpg?resize=540%2C359 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/de/7de7fbca-aabb-5363-aa92-73aa010b22ae/63939271d0b70.image.jpg?resize=640%2C426 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/de/7de7fbca-aabb-5363-aa92-73aa010b22ae/63939271d0b70.image.jpg?resize=750%2C499 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/de/7de7fbca-aabb-5363-aa92-73aa010b22ae/63939271d0b70.image.jpg?resize=990%2C659 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/de/7de7fbca-aabb-5363-aa92-73aa010b22ae/63939271d0b70.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C688 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/de/7de7fbca-aabb-5363-aa92-73aa010b22ae/63939271d0b70.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C798 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/de/7de7fbca-aabb-5363-aa92-73aa010b22ae/63939271d0b70.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C887 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/de/7de7fbca-aabb-5363-aa92-73aa010b22ae/63939271d0b70.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C982 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/de/7de7fbca-aabb-5363-aa92-73aa010b22ae/63939271d0b70.image.jpg?resize=1765%2C1174 2008w)
Actor Johnny Depp waves to supporters as he departs the Fairfax, Va., County Courthouse on May 27, 2022, during his high-profile libel lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard.
July
![Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/e1/6e1b2018-c6a4-5b7b-a215-9f285fbac561/63939278127fd.image.jpg?resize=150%2C107 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/e1/6e1b2018-c6a4-5b7b-a215-9f285fbac561/63939278127fd.image.jpg?resize=200%2C143 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/e1/6e1b2018-c6a4-5b7b-a215-9f285fbac561/63939278127fd.image.jpg?resize=225%2C160 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/e1/6e1b2018-c6a4-5b7b-a215-9f285fbac561/63939278127fd.image.jpg?resize=300%2C214 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/e1/6e1b2018-c6a4-5b7b-a215-9f285fbac561/63939278127fd.image.jpg?resize=400%2C285 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/e1/6e1b2018-c6a4-5b7b-a215-9f285fbac561/63939278127fd.image.jpg?resize=540%2C385 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/e1/6e1b2018-c6a4-5b7b-a215-9f285fbac561/63939278127fd.image.jpg?resize=640%2C456 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/e1/6e1b2018-c6a4-5b7b-a215-9f285fbac561/63939278127fd.image.jpg?resize=750%2C534 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/e1/6e1b2018-c6a4-5b7b-a215-9f285fbac561/63939278127fd.image.jpg?resize=990%2C705 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/e1/6e1b2018-c6a4-5b7b-a215-9f285fbac561/63939278127fd.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C738 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/e1/6e1b2018-c6a4-5b7b-a215-9f285fbac561/63939278127fd.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C855 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/e1/6e1b2018-c6a4-5b7b-a215-9f285fbac561/63939278127fd.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C950 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/e1/6e1b2018-c6a4-5b7b-a215-9f285fbac561/63939278127fd.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C1052 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/e1/6e1b2018-c6a4-5b7b-a215-9f285fbac561/63939278127fd.image.jpg?resize=1705%2C1215 2008w)
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez
Only one wedding, Britney? BENNIFER has two! Maybe what happens usually stays in Vegas, but not when you have 227 million followers on Instagram. With a winking reference to being a "Sadie" (married lady) JENNIFER LOPEZ directs fans to her newsletter where she shares pics of her quickie wedding to BEN AFFLECK. "Love is beautiful," she writes. "And it turns out love is patient." Speaking of patience, fans of BEYONCÉ are rewarded for theirs, with the release of her long-awaited seventh studio album, "Renaissance," her first solo album in six years.
August
So, we were saying …. Bennifer's second wedding, on Affleck's compound in Georgia, is bigger and fancier. One wedding, one split: KARDASHIAN and DAVIDSON are no longer. In other summer news, the world remembers Princess Diana, whose shocking death in a car crash happened 25 years ago, and whose life is being rehashed for a new generation in the current season of "The Crown." And only days later, that same Netflix series will pause production briefly as a mark of respect for Queen Elizabeth II as Britain — and the world — mourn the beloved monarch, who dies at age 96 after more than 70 years on the throne.
September
Mounting political intrigue in Europe, and by that we mean … did spit fly at the Venice premiere of "Don't Worry Darling"? Either way the movie, directed by OLIVIA WILDE and starring her boyfriend (alleged spitter HARRY STYLES), is saddled — or blessed? — with more than its share of extracurricular drama. At the EMMYS, behold SHERYL LEE RALPH, who wins for "Abbott Elementary" and schools the crowd on the power of dreams and self-belief. "This is what believing looks like," she says.
![Sheryl Lee Ralph](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/7b/87bbd83e-48b9-52fb-ba2c-594885566fb8/6393927d80c1b.image.jpg?resize=150%2C107 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/7b/87bbd83e-48b9-52fb-ba2c-594885566fb8/6393927d80c1b.image.jpg?resize=200%2C143 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/7b/87bbd83e-48b9-52fb-ba2c-594885566fb8/6393927d80c1b.image.jpg?resize=225%2C160 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/7b/87bbd83e-48b9-52fb-ba2c-594885566fb8/6393927d80c1b.image.jpg?resize=300%2C214 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/7b/87bbd83e-48b9-52fb-ba2c-594885566fb8/6393927d80c1b.image.jpg?resize=400%2C285 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/7b/87bbd83e-48b9-52fb-ba2c-594885566fb8/6393927d80c1b.image.jpg?resize=540%2C385 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/7b/87bbd83e-48b9-52fb-ba2c-594885566fb8/6393927d80c1b.image.jpg?resize=640%2C456 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/7b/87bbd83e-48b9-52fb-ba2c-594885566fb8/6393927d80c1b.image.jpg?resize=750%2C534 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/7b/87bbd83e-48b9-52fb-ba2c-594885566fb8/6393927d80c1b.image.jpg?resize=990%2C705 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/7b/87bbd83e-48b9-52fb-ba2c-594885566fb8/6393927d80c1b.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C738 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/7b/87bbd83e-48b9-52fb-ba2c-594885566fb8/6393927d80c1b.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C855 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/7b/87bbd83e-48b9-52fb-ba2c-594885566fb8/6393927d80c1b.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C950 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/7b/87bbd83e-48b9-52fb-ba2c-594885566fb8/6393927d80c1b.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C1052 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/7b/87bbd83e-48b9-52fb-ba2c-594885566fb8/6393927d80c1b.image.jpg?resize=1705%2C1215 2008w)
Sheryl Lee Ralph accepts the Emmy for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series for "Abbott Elementary" at the Emmy Awards on Sept. 12, 2022, in Los Angeles.
You know what else believing looks like? Rachel Berry from "Glee" — aka LEA MICHELE — at last getting to play Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl" on Broadway. In sports, with four rueful words that resonate with working moms everywhere, SERENA WILLIAMS says she's stepping aside from tennis, because: "Something's got to give."
October
The second HARVEY WEINSTEIN trial opens in Los Angeles. ADIDAS drops YE, part of a cascade of companies that will sever ties with the rapper over his antisemitic and other troubling comments. The ELON MUSK era begins at TWITTER as the world's richest man carries a sink into the office, to "let that sink in."
![Worm](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/51/951c6ce6-b142-5de3-b624-c7467d9049ec/6393928416f97.image.jpg?resize=150%2C96 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/51/951c6ce6-b142-5de3-b624-c7467d9049ec/6393928416f97.image.jpg?resize=200%2C128 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/51/951c6ce6-b142-5de3-b624-c7467d9049ec/6393928416f97.image.jpg?resize=225%2C144 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/51/951c6ce6-b142-5de3-b624-c7467d9049ec/6393928416f97.image.jpg?resize=300%2C191 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/51/951c6ce6-b142-5de3-b624-c7467d9049ec/6393928416f97.image.jpg?resize=400%2C255 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/51/951c6ce6-b142-5de3-b624-c7467d9049ec/6393928416f97.image.jpg?resize=540%2C344 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/51/951c6ce6-b142-5de3-b624-c7467d9049ec/6393928416f97.image.jpg?resize=640%2C408 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/51/951c6ce6-b142-5de3-b624-c7467d9049ec/6393928416f97.image.jpg?resize=750%2C478 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/51/951c6ce6-b142-5de3-b624-c7467d9049ec/6393928416f97.image.jpg?resize=990%2C631 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/51/951c6ce6-b142-5de3-b624-c7467d9049ec/6393928416f97.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C660 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/51/951c6ce6-b142-5de3-b624-c7467d9049ec/6393928416f97.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C765 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/51/951c6ce6-b142-5de3-b624-c7467d9049ec/6393928416f97.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C850 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/51/951c6ce6-b142-5de3-b624-c7467d9049ec/6393928416f97.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C941 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/51/951c6ce6-b142-5de3-b624-c7467d9049ec/6393928416f97.image.jpg?resize=1803%2C1150 2008w)
Heidi Klum attends her 21st annual Halloween party in a worm costume on Oct. 31, 2022, in New York.
HEIDI KLUM's Halloween costume is a slimy, glistening rain worm. But before the month worms away from us, let's cede it to TAYLOR SWIFT for dropping her new album, "Midnights" (Spotify's most-streamed album in a single day), then adding seven bonus tracks, then becoming the first artist to occupy all top 10 slots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Let THAT sink in! P.S. Celebrity divorce watch: TOM BRADY and wife GISELE BUNDCHEN split.
November
Did we say LAST month was Taylor Swift month? Well now, millions of eager fans crowd a presale for her much-awaited Eras Tour, resulting in crashes and endless waits. Ticketmaster cancels the general sale, citing insufficient stock. Multiple state attorneys general announce investigations. Takeaway: People want Taylor Swift tickets. At the multiplex, they also want their Wakanda. "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" meets the double challenge of following up one of the biggest blockbusters in history and losing its biggest star.
![Wakanda Forever](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/516f2993-e85c-55af-9051-b1c913333efb/6393928b65d00.image.jpg?resize=150%2C79 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/516f2993-e85c-55af-9051-b1c913333efb/6393928b65d00.image.jpg?resize=200%2C105 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/516f2993-e85c-55af-9051-b1c913333efb/6393928b65d00.image.jpg?resize=225%2C118 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/516f2993-e85c-55af-9051-b1c913333efb/6393928b65d00.image.jpg?resize=300%2C158 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/516f2993-e85c-55af-9051-b1c913333efb/6393928b65d00.image.jpg?resize=400%2C210 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/516f2993-e85c-55af-9051-b1c913333efb/6393928b65d00.image.jpg?resize=540%2C284 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/516f2993-e85c-55af-9051-b1c913333efb/6393928b65d00.image.jpg?resize=640%2C336 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/516f2993-e85c-55af-9051-b1c913333efb/6393928b65d00.image.jpg?resize=750%2C394 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/516f2993-e85c-55af-9051-b1c913333efb/6393928b65d00.image.jpg?resize=990%2C520 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/516f2993-e85c-55af-9051-b1c913333efb/6393928b65d00.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C544 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/516f2993-e85c-55af-9051-b1c913333efb/6393928b65d00.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C631 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/516f2993-e85c-55af-9051-b1c913333efb/6393928b65d00.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C701 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/516f2993-e85c-55af-9051-b1c913333efb/6393928b65d00.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C776 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/16/516f2993-e85c-55af-9051-b1c913333efb/6393928b65d00.image.jpg?resize=1986%2C1044 2008w)
This image released by Marvel Studios shows a scene from "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."
December
Love 'em or hate 'em, here come HARRY and MEGHAN again, with a Netflix "documentary" being watched very, very closely by royalty across the pond.
![Harry and Meghan](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/90/c90a5c7b-cc35-591e-8bee-e43ef117d765/63939290b303b.image.jpg?resize=150%2C100 150w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/90/c90a5c7b-cc35-591e-8bee-e43ef117d765/63939290b303b.image.jpg?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/90/c90a5c7b-cc35-591e-8bee-e43ef117d765/63939290b303b.image.jpg?resize=225%2C150 225w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/90/c90a5c7b-cc35-591e-8bee-e43ef117d765/63939290b303b.image.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/90/c90a5c7b-cc35-591e-8bee-e43ef117d765/63939290b303b.image.jpg?resize=400%2C267 400w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/90/c90a5c7b-cc35-591e-8bee-e43ef117d765/63939290b303b.image.jpg?resize=540%2C360 540w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/90/c90a5c7b-cc35-591e-8bee-e43ef117d765/63939290b303b.image.jpg?resize=640%2C427 640w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/90/c90a5c7b-cc35-591e-8bee-e43ef117d765/63939290b303b.image.jpg?resize=750%2C500 750w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/90/c90a5c7b-cc35-591e-8bee-e43ef117d765/63939290b303b.image.jpg?resize=990%2C660 990w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/90/c90a5c7b-cc35-591e-8bee-e43ef117d765/63939290b303b.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C690 1035w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/90/c90a5c7b-cc35-591e-8bee-e43ef117d765/63939290b303b.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C800 1200w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/90/c90a5c7b-cc35-591e-8bee-e43ef117d765/63939290b303b.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C889 1333w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/90/c90a5c7b-cc35-591e-8bee-e43ef117d765/63939290b303b.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C985 1476w, https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/90/c90a5c7b-cc35-591e-8bee-e43ef117d765/63939290b303b.image.jpg?resize=1763%2C1176 2008w)
Office workers in London watch the controversial Netflix documentary “Harry & Meghan.”
The "AVATAR" sequel finally appears, 13 years after the original broke records. Will viewers flock to Pandora once again? And bringing the year full circle, WILL SMITH emerges to promote his new film, "EMANCIPATION," and hoping people will forget about … what was it? … at least enough to check out the movie. In this year of comebacks, will Smith's be the biggest? Check back with us in 2023.