Kim Kardashian, Johnny Depp and an Oscars slap: Top pop culture moments in 2022

It didn't take long for 2022 to show up and show out. This year brought the return of crowded in-person events, box office blockbusters, unexpected weddings and an assurance that there's never a dull moment in pop culture.

Celebrity controversies consumed social media, with the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation trial and, of course, that Oscars slap.

The year also marked the loss of many icons, including Sidney Poitier, Bob Saget, Taylor Hawkins, Anne Heche, Olivia-Newton John, Naomi Judd, Ray Liotta, Takeoff and Stephen "tWitch" Boss.

We look back at some of the biggest moments that defined the entertainment world this year.

The biggest moments recap

• Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars when Rock made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.

• Queen Elizabeth II died after reigning for more than 70 years, spurring big changes for the U.K.

• Johnny Depp and Amber Heard faced off in an ugly defamation trial and the world couldn't look away.

• Kim Kardashian caused a stir with her Met Gala dress and an unexpected romance.

• Matthew McConaughey gave a heartfelt speech on guns.

• Tom Cruise and Kate Bush made a comeback.

Will Smith slaps Chris Rock at the Oscars

Best picture winner "CODA" wasn't the biggest talker of the 94th Academy Awards on March 27. The moment that consumed audiences that night – and for many months after – was the incident between Will Smith and Chris Rock on the Oscars stage, now deemed The Slap.

Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's baldness, saying she could star in a "G.I. Jane" sequel. Pinkett Smith has been vocal about her alopecia diagnosis, prompting her husband to walk up on stage and smack Rock.

Smith returned to his seat and cursed at the comedian, telling him to keep his wife's name out of his mouth. The incident left everyone in the Dolby Theater in shock, especially when Smith later accepted the best actor Oscar for his performance in "King Richard."

Smith apologized for his actions that night, both in the days following and months later in a video posted to YouTube. He has been barred from attending any Academy events, including the Oscars, for 10 years.

Will Smith and Chris Rock: Everything to know about the infamous Oscars 2022 slap

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The world mourns Queen Elizabeth II

Britain's longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, died Sept. 8 at 96, at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. While the public mourned the loss, they also celebrated the storied life of the queen, who served for more than 70 years.

For four days, the queen lay in state at Westminster Hall as tens of thousands of people waited hours in line to pass by Queen Elizabeth's coffin and pay their respects; soccer great David Beckham reportedly waited 12 hours. Many other stars took to social media to share words about the queen.

On Sept. 19, billions tuned in as Queen Elizabeth was laid to rest in a state funeral. Many eyes were on U.K.'s new monarch, King Charles III, and others in line for the throne, including Prince William and his oldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who all attended the service at Westminster Abbey.

The ceremony was one of the biggest gatherings of world leaders, including President Joe Biden.

Queen Elizabeth laid to rest: Poignant moments, from emotional royals to funeral wreath

More: Princess Kate, daughter Charlotte honor Queen Elizabeth with sweet details in funeral attire

Johnny Depp sues Amber Heard in televised defamation trial

The defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard became an online spectacle, rehashing the exes' dysfunctional marriage while fans quickly took sides and "Saturday Night Live" made jokes.

Depp and Heard took the stand in May over competing libel charges. Depp sued Heard for $50 million, alleging she defamed him in an opinion column where she claimed to be a victim of domestic abuse. Heard countersued Depp over comments made by Depp's former lawyer Adam Waldman, when he called her abuse allegations a hoax.

Following six weeks of intense testimony and 13 hours of deliberations, a Virgina jury sided with the "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor on June 1, awarding him more than $10 million in damages and vindicating his stance that Heard fabricated claims. The jury also awarded Heard $2 million in damages in her countersuit.

Heard appealed the verdict in December and Depp's team filed its own notice of intent to appeal the jury's award to his ex-wife. Then on Dec. 19, Heard announced she'd reached a settlement with Depp. Depp's lawyers said Heard will pay $1 million, which he will "donate to charities."

Following the trial, Heard has stayed out of the spotlight, while Depp made appearances at the MTV Video Music Awards and Rihanna's Savage X Fenty show.

Depp-Heard verdict: Johnny Depp wins libel trial, Amber Heard partially wins countersuit

Settlement reached: Amber Heard makes 'difficult decision' to settle defamation case against Johnny Depp

Kim Kardashian stuns, causes controversy in Marilyn Monroe dress

It was an unforgettable moment when Kardashian showed up to the Met Gala on May 2 in the original skin-tight, sparkling Bob Mackie dress that Marilyn Monroe wore to sing "Happy Birthday" to President John F. Kennedy in 1962.

Kardashian was praised for her stunning look, but there was some backlash, both in concerns for her rapid weight loss to wear the dress and for fears she might have damaged the historic piece. The reality TV star said she lost 16 pounds to fit into the figure-hugging nude dress that she borrowed from Ripley's Believe It or Not, before changing into a replica.

In the weeks following the event, a visual artist said he observed irreparable damage to the gown, which features more than 2,500 hand-stitched crystals. Ripley's denied the claims, saying the dress was returned "in the same condition it started in."

In another Kim K. moment this year, she showed up to the Met Gala with her then-boyfriend Pete Davidson. The comedian was the first to swoon the star following her 2021 divorce from Ye (formerly Kanye West). However, the unexpected romance didn't last long and reportedly fizzled sometime around August.

Kim Kardashian Met Gala look: She stunned in Marilyn Monroe's dress, but at what cost?

Marilyn Monroe dress: Kim Kardashian left historic gown in 'same condition it started in,' Ripley's says

'Top Gun: Maverick' brings crowds back to theaters

The 36-year wait for a "Top Gun" sequel proved to be worth it when "Top Gun: Maverick" flew into theaters on May 27. The movie, which stars Tom Cruise reprising his role from the 1986 original, sold an estimated $156 million in ticket sales in its first four days in North American theaters. And with positive reviews and a global promotional tour, ticket sales remained strong in its second weekend, when there would typically be a bigger drop.

USA TODAY's movie critic Brian Truitt gave the movie a 3½ out of four stars review, and our own Bryan Alexander took readers inside a flight on a aerobatic stunt plane – without losing his lunch.

Other 2022 films, including "Elvis," "Minions: Rise of Gru," "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" and "Avatar: The Way of Water," also reached pre-pandemic-level ticket sales.

'Stranger Things' resurges 'Running Up That Hill'

Who would have guessed that a song from the ’80s would dominate music in 2022?

Netflix series "Stranger Things" released its fourth season on May 27. The season is the most popular English-language series for Netflix this year based on hours viewed in its first 28 days on the platform. Soon after the Season 4 release, the series also propelled a resurgence of Kate Bush's 1985 hit "Running Up That Hill (Deal With God)."

The song is used in the fourth episode when Max (Sadie Sink) is nearly killed by Vecna in the Upside Down before her friends play the song to empower Max to fend off Vecna and escape death.

After the new season's premiere, the tune made its way up music charts, higher than after its release 40 years ago. It also went viral on TikTok, finding adoring ears from a new generation.

More television releases shaped pop culture in 2022, including the second season of "Euphoria," the first two seasons of "Abbott Elementary" and Apple TV+'s "Severance" and Hulu/FX's "The Bear."

A 'whole new lease of life': Kate Bush reacts after 'Stranger Things' resurges 'Running Up That Hill'

‘Stranger Things’: Stars Sadie Sink and Caleb McLaughlin break down that emotional finale

Matthew McConaughey makes impassioned speech about guns after Uvalde

Matthew McConaughey delivered a passionate 20-minute speech on gun control, after meeting with President Biden, at the podium of the White House press briefing room on June 8 as he spoke of the May 24 mass shooting in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 children and two teachers dead.

"This moment is different. We’re in a window of opportunity right now that we have not been in before, a window where it seems like real change – real change – can happen," McConaughey said.

The actor also wrote an op-ed on the issue and outlined measures he believes must be taken to deter gun violence including requiring background checks to purchase guns, establishing Red Flag Laws and enacting stricter rules for obtaining assault rifles.

'Real change can happen': Read Matthew McConaughey's full White House speech on gun violence

Hip-hop titans lead Super Bowl halftime show

In a performance that truly captured the essence of Los Angeles, Dr. Dre frontlined the Super Bowl 56 halftime show alongside other rap and R&B icons.

Joined by Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar, Dre revisited iconic hits, like "California Love" and "Still D.R.E," at Inglewood's SoFi Stadium on Feb. 13.

The show also included a surprise appearance from 50 Cent, who performed "In Da Club" upside down like he did in the classic music video.

The Rams beat the Bengals 23-20, but the halftime show memes were the real winner of night.

Super Bowl halftime show review: Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Snoop, Dre, Kendrick Lamar prove fiery mix

Britney Spears marries Sam Asghari; Jennifer Lopez weds Ben Affleck

Dozens of stars got engaged or tied the knot in 2022, but Britney Spears' star-studded surprise nuptials and the return of Bennifer took the wedding cake.

Spears and longtime boyfriend Sam Asghari kept their June 9 ceremony under wraps until the day of the event. But details emerged on social media of "the most spectacular day" with iconic guests, including Paris Hilton, Madonna, Selena Gomez and Drew Barrymore.

Bennifer also finally made it down the aisle – twice! Lopez and Affleck, who rekindled their early 2000s romance last year, got married July 16 at a wedding chapel in Las Vegas and celebrated again Aug. 21 with a much more elaborate wedding in Georgia.

"We did it," Lopez wrote after their nuptials. "Love is beautiful. Love is kind. And it turns out love is patient. Twenty years patient."

Stars who got engaged or married in 2022: See all the celebrity weddings

Sheryl Lee Ralph shines at the Emmys

The 2022 Emmys didn't bring as much drama as the Oscars, but Sheryl Lee Ralph brought the motivation speech we all needed.

Accepting the award for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series for her role in ABC’s breakout sitcom "Abbott Elementary," Ralph sang the opening stanza of Dianne Reeves' 1993 song "Endangered Species" and schooled the crowd.

"To anyone who has ever, ever had a dream and thought your dream wasn’t, wouldn’t, couldn’t come true, I am here to tell you that this is what believing looks like. This is what striving looks like. And don’t you ever, ever give up on you," she said.

2022 Emmy Awards: The best (Sheryl Lee Ralph) and worst (dancing) moments of the night

Adidas ends partnership with Ye over his antisemitic remarks

Ye's brash behavior and hateful rhetoric this year finally hit the star's wallet in October when one of his biggest partners, Adidas, cut ties with the rapper.

"Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech," the company said in a statement. "Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness."

Many more brands parted ways with Ye including Balenciaga, Gap, TJ Maxx, Vogue and talent agency Creative Artists Agency.

Kanye West is getting dumped: What Ye said and why companies are cutting ties

Ye's problematic comments: Brands, stars finally spoke out. What took so long?

Taylor Swift makes Billboard chart history with 'Midnights'

Taylor Swift's 13-track "Midnights" (plus seven additional songs on the "3 a.m. Edition" of the album) set numerous records for the singer its first week of release.

The album zipped to No. 1 on Billboard’s 200 album chart with the biggest sales week for any album in nearly seven years with 1.57 million equivalent album units earned in the U.S. according to Luminate, the data company that services Billboard.

Swift also became the first artist in history to claim the top 10 slots of the Billboard Hot 100 chart with tracks from her new record "Midnights."

"10 out of 10 of the Hot 100??? On my 10th album??? I AM IN SHAMBLES," the pop star tweeted.

She will kick off The Eras Tour in March 2023 to complement "Midnights."

'Midnights' review: Taylor Swift returns to pop with poetic, most deeply personal album yet

Heidi Klum goes full slug for Halloween

In one of the more worm-derful moments of 2022, Heidi Klum showed up to her annual Halloween extravaganza as a giant earthworm.

The model, in a mauve and flesh-toned suit, crawled on the blue carpet beside her husband Tom Kaulitz, who was dressed as a fisherman. Through barely visible slits in the costume, Klum's yellow-contact eyes and mouth could be made out just enough to chat with guests and reporters.

"I want to put a smile on people's faces. … I thought it'd be funny," she said.

Bathtubs of blood, a giant worm, Elon Musk: What we saw inside Heidi Klum's Halloween party

The best entertainment in 2022

• Best movies of 2022: The must-see films, from Tom Cruise's 'Top Gun: Maverick' to 'The Whale,' 'RRR'

• Best songs of 2022: Beyoncé's 'Break My Soul.' Taylor Swift's 'Anti-Hero, more top hits of the year 

• Best reads of 2022: See which books USA TODAY critics gave perfect reviews this year

Contributing: Elise Brisco, Naledi Ushe, Maria Puente, Edward Segarra, Jordan Mendoza, Terry Collins, Hannah Yasharoff, Melissa Ruggieri

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oscars slap, Kim Kardashian's dress, 2022 biggest pop culture moments