Will Smith, Johnny Depp dominate the international entertainment scene in 2022

The year 2022 has definitely seen a variety of celebrity tales in the international scene, particularly Hollywood and Hallyu — from milestones, bitter breakups to hookups… you name it. In case you missed out, here’s a wrap-up of the top stories that made headlines in the past 12 months:

Brad Pitt sues ex-wife Angelina Jolie

The legal battle between the former Hollywood power couple continues as Brad Pitt sued Angelina Jolie in February for selling her 50% stake in Chateau Miraval, the French winery they had bought together. Pitt said that Jolie broke their agreement not to sell their interests in Chateau Miraval without the other’s consent.

Pitt then accused his ex-wife of seeking to “inflict harm” on him by selling her stake to a Russian oligarch with “poisonous associations and intentions.”

Jolie then filed a countersuit against Pitt in September, alleging that the actor had launched a campaign to “seize control” of the French winery amid their ongoing divorce and custody battle, and to ensure “Jolie would never see a dime” of the business’ profit.

The filing also stated that Jolie negotiated with Pitt for months before selling her stake of Chateau Miraval, but he demanded a nondisclosure agreement which prohibits the actress Jolie from publicly speaking about the events leading to the end of their marriage.

Jolie then detailed what she described as abusive behavior by Pitt in a court filing in October, which happened during a September 2016 private plane flight.

Will Smith slaps comedian Chris Rock at Oscars

Will Smith became the talk of the town not because of his first Oscars win, but for slapping and shouting vulgarity at Chris Rock during this year’s ceremony. Smith smacked Rock after the comedian blurted a “G.I. Jane” joke on his wife Jada Pinkett Smith who has a shaved head, reportedly due to alopecia. Smith — who was subsequently banned from attending the Academy Awards for 10 years — publicly apologized to the comedian and the film academy, saying he was “wrong” and was “out of line.”

Kanye, Kim Kardashian’s divorce finalized

The celebrity couple officially ended their marriage last March, over a year after reality star-businesswoman Kim Kardashian filed for divorce from rapper Kanye. While the grounds for the divorce were not immediately known, Kardashian’s divorce filing came after months of press reports about marital strife and as Kanye battled with mental health issues. Before their divorce was finalized, Kanye had publicly fought the separation with social media posts imploring Kardashian to reconcile.

The former couple, who wed in 2014, have four children together, namely North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm.

Hyun Bin, Son Ye-Jin get married

The Korean couple, known for their 2019 hit romantic comedy series “Crash Landing on You,” tied the knot in a private ceremony in Seoul on March 31. Three months after the wedding,  Hyun Bin and Son Ye-Jin announced that they are expecting their first child together. The Korean actress gave birth to their firstborn, a baby boy, in November. 

A wedding photo of Hyun Bin (L) and Son Ye-jin, provided by VAST Entertainment. Image: VAST Entertainment via The Korea Herald/ANN

Bruce Willis retires from acting due to aphasia

“Die Hard” star Bruce Willis “stepped away” from his acting career after being diagnosed with aphasia, a neurological disorder which has greatly hampered the American actor’s cognitive abilities. Willis’ family announced his retirement and condition, which came as no surprise to filmmakers who have recently worked with him and witnessed the actor’s declining health on set. 

Willis, 67, rose to fame in the 1980s and has since appeared in about 100 films across his four-decade career. 

Ellen DeGeneres ends talk show after nearly two decades

Ellen DeGeneres bid fans of her Emmy-winning daytime talk show “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” goodbye last May, after being on air for almost two decades. DeGeneres announced in 2021 that the show would sign off after its 19th season, citing how she needed something “new” to challenge her. Meanwhile, the show has been the subject of controversy for the past years after reports alleging its management had a “toxic work culture.”

Johnny Depp wins defamation battle against ex-wife Amber Heard

After a highly publicized six-week trial, a Virginia jury ruled that Johnny Depp and Amber Heard had defamed each other over mutual allegations of domestic abuse, but weighed in far more strongly with the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star. Depp was awarded with $15 million (about P831 million) in damages, while the jury also ruled in favor of some aspects of Heard’s countersuit and awarded her with $2 million (about P111 million) in damages.

Heard had since appealed to reverse the defamation verdict, citing errors on the part of the Virginia trial court. Heard also sought to have the case be remanded for a new trial.

The “Aquaman” star then announced on Dec. 19 that she would settle the defamation claims brought against her by Depp, but noted that it was not an “act of concession.” Heard said that she arrived to such decision after “having lost faith in the American legal system.”

Britney Spears finally marries longtime boyfriend Sam Asghari

Britney Spears and her longtime boyfriend Sam Asghari have tied the knot at their Los Angeles home on June 9, seven months after the pop star’s 13-year conservatorship was terminated by a Los Angeles judge. The couple’s wedding got interrupted when Spears’ ex-husband Jason Allen Alexander gatecrashed the party and sparked a police response. 

Alexander was charged with a felony count of stalking, as well as misdemeanor counts of trespassing, vandalism, and battery.

BTS takes hiatus as a group

BTS. Image from Big Hit Music

K-pop supergroup BTS shocked fans after they took an unexpected pause in their career as a group, announcing it on the band’s 9th anniversary celebration in June. The group, consisting of seven members: RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook, explained that they came up with the decision as they were going through “a rough patch” and were trying to find their identity as individual artists.

In July, the septet was appointed as honorary ambassadors for the 2030 Busan World Expo, which marked the K-pop act’s first official group activity since their hiatus announcement. BTS then staged their “‘Yet To Come’ in Busan” concert in October, one of the efforts of the South Korean government to help win the bid to host the World Expo 2030.

Before announcing their hiatus, BTS also met U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House where they discussed hate crimes targeting Asians.

Later in the year, Jin, the eldest member of Korean supergroup turned 30, and so began his mandatory military service last Dec. 13, two months after his enlistment was announced by BTS’ music label Bighit Music. Prior to the scheduled onset of his training, the K-pop star debuted his shaved hair on social media, saying “it looks cuter” than he thought. 

Bighit Music also confirmed that all band members are set to fulfill their military service duties. The agency noted that RM, Suga, J-hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook will carry out their military duties “based on their own individual plans.”

Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck seal rekindled romance with marriage

Hollywood power couple Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, affectionately dubbed as “Bennifer,” were back into each other’s arms again, nearly two decades after they called off their previous engagement. This time, Lopez and Affleck were in it for real as they announced their engagement in April, obtained a marriage license in Las Vegas in July, then got married again in a lavish ceremony in August.

The rekindling of romance between Lopez and Affleck was confirmed to the public in June 2021, after paparazzi photos of them kissing were published by the New York Post.

Rihanna dethrones Kylie as Forbes’ youngest self-made woman billionaire 

Rihanna became Forbes’ youngest self-made woman billionaire — snatching the title from model Kylie Jenner — as she ranked no. 21 in the 2022 list for “America’s Richest Self-Made Women.” She amassed a net worth of $1.4 billion (over P77 billion), as per a profile by Forbes.

Despite being in the music industry, most of Rihanna’s earnings actually came from her cosmetic company Fenty Beauty. She also co-owns the lingerie brand Savage x Fenty and the skincare brand Fenty Skin.

Rihanna also made her musical comeback this year with “Lift Me Up,” her first solo music in six years. The song is an emotional ballad written in tribute to late actor Chadwick Boseman. It is also one of the soundtracks of the Marvel film “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

Adam Levine allegedly cheats on pregnant model wife Behati Prinsloo

Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine got embroiled in a cheating controversy in September after online influencer Sumner Stroh claimed she had an affair with him, saying that the singer even planned to name his third child with Victoria’s Secret model Behati Prinsloo after Stroh.

Levine immediately spoke up on the cheating allegations and admitted he had been “flirtatious” with Stroh, but stressed that they did not have an affair. Levine said he “takes full responsibility” for “crossing the line” as he vowed to never commit the same mistake ever again.  

The Maroon 5 frontman was also recently named as Google’s top trending musician of 2022 in the United States. The reason for Levine being one of this year’s top searches was not immediately stated but it appears to be in connection with the cheating controversy he got involved in. 

Selena Gomez, Hailey Bieber pose for a photo together 

Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber, Canadian pop star Justin Bieber’s ex-girlfriend and wife, were spotted all smiles while sitting close to each other at the Academy Museum Gala held last October. This appeared to be an effort to quell feud speculations between them after Hailey refuted claims that she “stole” Justin from the “Kill Em With Kindness” singer.

Gomez later spoke up about her photos with Hailey, which took the internet by storm, and said that they were not “a big deal.”

Gomez and Justin were in an on-again, off-again relationship for years until they quite permanently broke things off in 2018. In the same year, Justin and Hailey got married in a civil ceremony, then a church wedding in 2019.

Chris Evans named 2022 sexiest man alive by People magazine

Chris Evans attends Netflix’s “The Gray Man” Los Angeles Premiere at TCL Chinese Theatre on July 13, 2022 in Hollywood, California. Image: Getty Images/Leon Bennett via AFP

Chris Evans, 41, currently holds the title as the sexiest man alive, which was given to him by People magazine. The “Captain America” actor admitted that although he is honored, he said the title “feels like a weird form of humble bragging.”

Meanwhile, Evans was recently reported to be dating Portuguese actress Alba Baptista. An unnamed source disclosed to the publication that the pair has been going out “for over a year and it’s serious.” Evans and Baptista have yet to confirm or deny these speculations, as of writing.

Special mention

*Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Netflix documentary

Just two months since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, as well as the installment of his father Charles as king, Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle unleashed a maelstrom of controversy after the release of their Netflix documentary detailing the “dirty game” that royals play within Buckingham Palace, and the institution as a whole.

Prince Harry (left) and Meghan Markle

Harry accused his family of using the press to undermine them while one of the couple’s supporters calls it a tale of “hatred” and “race”. Meghan then appeared to accuse the family of failing to protect her, before Harry says “I was terrified, I didn’t want history to repeat itself,” referring to the circumstances leading to the death of his mother, Princess Diana.

The Sussexes stepped down from royal duties two years ago after voicing criticisms and unveiling a rift with royal heir, Prince William and wife Kate Middleton. At the same time, they were mocked for using their status to make money at the expense of the royal family.

Despite this, Netflix said its documentary series racked up more viewing time on the streaming service than any other documentary during its first week. EDV

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