Top 10 Celeb Scandals of 2022
#10: James Corden Banned From Balthazar
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Late-night talk show host James Corden made headlines when he was temporarily banned from the popular New York restaurant Balthazar. In October, Keith McNally, who owns and operates the establishment made a post on Instagram that called out Corden for being rude to his staff on two occasions. At first, Corden brushed off the allegations, calling them “so silly” and claiming not to have “done anything wrong, on any level.” The ban was eventually lifted after “The Late Late Show” host called McNally personally to apologize. He also addressed the incident on his program, where he promised to make amends with the staff in question.
#9: Joe Rogan Spotify Controversy
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In May 2020, Joe Rogan signed a multi-million dollar deal with Spotify, making his podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience” exclusive to the platform. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rogan touted conspiracy theories on the show, which prompted an open letter by a group of healthcare professionals asking Spotify to drop him. Veteran musician Neil Young also joined in the call, but the streaming giant refused to do so. In response, Young and a few other musicians, including Joni Mitchell, removed their songs from the platform. The controversy peaked a few days later when a video of Rogan making offensive comments went viral. This led to Spotify deleting multiple episodes of his podcast from their site.
#8: Shakira & Gerard Piqué Split
Colombian pop star Shakira first met Gerard Piqué when he featured in the music video for her 2010 World Cup anthem “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa).” The two soon began dating and welcomed two sons in 2013 and 2015. Their relationship, however, hit the rocks in June 2022, when rumors that Piqué had cheated on Shakira surfaced in the media. The couple eventually put out a joint statement in which they confirmed their split, but made no mention of Piqué’s alleged affair. Regardless, fans quickly took to social media to call out the Spanish footballer on the infidelity allegations.
#7: Khloé Kardashian & Tristan Thompson
Reality TV star Khloé Kardashian and NBA player Tristan Thompson first started dating in 2016. Since then, the two have had a pretty tumultuous relationship, filled with multiple high-profile cheating scandals. As a result, they have been on and off more times than anyone can even remember. In December 2021, while the two were expecting their second child, through a surrogate, it was reported that Thompson had fathered a child with another woman. This was confirmed in January 2022, after which the basketballer took to Instagram to publicly apologize to Kardashian. The whole debacle and the Kardashians’ reaction were highlighted in an episode of their Hulu show later in the year.
#6: The Drama Behind “Don’t Worry Darling”
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The behind-the-scenes stories of a movie can sometimes be just as fascinating as the movie itself. That certainly was the case for the 2022 psychological thriller “Don’t Worry Darling.” Even before it was released, the film already sparked controversy after Shia LaBeouf was replaced with Harry Styles. It was also reported that director Olivia Wilde often clashed with Florence Pugh during production, which may have been why the actress skipped the film’s New York premiere. To top it all off, during the Venice International Film Festival premiere, a video began circulating on social media that seemed to show Styles spitting on castmate Chris Pine. Those claims were, however, debunked by Pine’s team.
#5: Will Smith & Chris Rock Slapping Incident
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It was the slap heard around the world. While presenting the Best Documentary Feature prize at the 2022 Academy Awards, comedian and actor Chris Rock made a joke directed at Jada Pinkett Smith. In response, Will Smith walked up to the stage, hit Rock across the face, and shouted profanities at him. Smith’s actions sucked the air out of the room and immediately ignited an online debate. Moments later, he won the award for Best Actor and delivered a teary speech in which he apologized to the Academy, but not to Rock. A formal review of the incident was launched the next day, which concluded with the actor getting banned from attending any Academy event for the next ten years.
#4: Adam Levine Cheating Scandal
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In September 2022, Instagram model Sumner Stroh posted a video on TikTok in which she claimed to have had a year-long affair with Adam Levine. Stroh shared screenshots of her messages with Levine and alleged that she was manipulated into the relationship when she was young and naive. The Maroon 5 frontman denied cheating on his wife, Victoria’s Secret model Behati Prinsloo, who was pregnant with their third child at the time of the scandal. He however admitted to being in contact with other women in a “flirtatious” manner. Perhaps the most harrowing part of it all was the claim that Levine had asked Stroh if he could name his unborn child after her.
#3: Ezra Miller’s Multiple Controversies
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2022 certainly was a troubling year for Ezra Miller. The promising Hollywood star first made headlines when they were arrested twice in Hawaii. First, for a physical altercation at a karaoke bar, and then, for injuring a woman after throwing a chair at her. Later in the year, it was alleged that Miller had groomed Native American activist Tokata Iron Eyes from a young age. This was soon followed by harassment allegations from a woman and her preteen, and reports that they had housed another woman and her three children on their gun-riddled farm. The incidents posed a threat to Miller’s portrayal of the DC superhero The Flash, which led to the actor releasing an apology on August 15th.
#2: Kanye West
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Beginning in early October, rapper Ye found himself embroiled in a series of controversies. These led to him being banned from some social media platforms, as well as losing multiple sponsorships and business relationships. West first received criticism when he appeared at the Paris Fashion Week wearing a “White Lives Matter” t-shirt. A few days later, he tweeted anti-Semitic remarks after his Instagram account was locked for suggesting that rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was controlled by Jewish people. The backlash was immediate. In addition to being called out by fans and celebrities alike, West was dropped by his talent agency and his partnerships with several brands, including Balenciaga, Gap, and Adidas, were terminated.
#1: Johnny Depp & Amber Heard Defamation Trial
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Hollywood actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard got married in February 2015 but split the next year amid allegations of domestic violence. In 2018, Heard published an op-ed piece where she referred to herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” In response, Depp sued her for defamation to the tune of $50 million, while Heard countersued for a hundred million. The live-streamed trial, which lasted from April till June, captured the world’s attention and lit a firestorm on social media. A majority of users online seemed to support Depp, leaving Heard to receive the brunt of the backlash. In the end, they were both found liable for defamation, and awarded varying fractions of their initial damage claims.
