5 actors who were at the centre of controversies in 2022
Controversies around movie stars have been common since the advent of celebrity culture. They have only become more common after social media mde actors and celebrities all the more accessible. After the pandemic, the increased and widespread use of the internet has also made controversies more common and an major part of pop culture.
In 2022, there were quite some controversies that took over the internet and even made their way into meme culture. While some of the actors involved are huge stars already, others became fairly more popular after the controversies sparked off. From the Academy Awards to the Venice International Film Festival, major events were colored by the controversies concerning some famous stars.
Here are some of the most popular actors who were caught up in major controversies in 2022.
From Will Smith to Harry Styles and Johnny Depp, five actors involved in major controversies in 2022
1) Will Smith
The Academy Awards in 2022 had what was one of the year's most attention-worthy moments of the year when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock, the event's host.
Audiences who were at the event and who were watching it at home were stunned when Smith walked up to the stage and slapped Rock after the latter jokes about Jada Pinkett Smith's alopecia. Although Jada has been outspoken about alopecia, the joke didn't sit well with Smith and he slapped he comedian.
The incident had fans taking all kinds of sides. While some held Will Smith accountable for being impulsive and taking the joke well, others felt that Rock had gone overboard by joking about such a sensitive issue.
Many rumors began floating that suggested that Smith's wife actively encouraged him to physically harm Rock by walking up to the stage.
This incident also led to Will Smith's resignation from the Academy after he was banned from attending the Oscars for the ten upcoming years.
2) Harry Styles
Whether it is fashion, fame or music, Harry Styles has been a familiar face this year, and controversies are no exception. At the Venice International Film Festival this year, Harry Styles was suspected to have spat on his Don't Worry Darling co-star Chris Pine. As rumors began about Styles spitting on Pine, the video that suggested the same, went viral on social media.
Although there was no confirmation that such an incident actually occured, the rumors grew so much that fans demanded a response from the actors. The actors' teams dismissed the accusations and assured fans that the video was misinterprested. Their statements, however, failed to convince the larger audience as the rumors continued for a while on social media.
3) Florence Pugh
Harry Styles spitting on Chris Pine is not the only controversy surrounding Don't Worry Darling. For a while now, there have been stories about the not-so-friendly relationshop between the film's director Olivia Wilde and Florence Pugh, the lead actress.
Initially Pugh was supposed to star opposite Shia LaBeouf. However, rumors about why that didn't happen range from Pugh being uncomfortable with LaBeouf to Wilde getting into a relationship with Styles. When Olivia Wilde later explained that Shia LaBeaouf was fired from the film, he responded that he was never fired at all.
Amidst this controversy, Florence Pugh was seemingly absent from the promotions of the film. This only sparked more rumors that Wilde had disagreements with Pugh on how the film should have been promoted and whether or not it would be right to capitalize on Styles' stardom.
4) Ezra Miller
When it comes to Ezra Miller, the number of controversies this year are at an all-time high. This comes despite the actor constantly being involved in serious issues such as marijuana possession and assault charges.
Miller was previously in the news for assault charges and charges of grooming. A couple of year ago, a video featuring the actor seemingly choking a woman went viral on the internet.
In 2022, Miller was once again accused of multiple crimes which included second-degree assault, a series of assaults and a burglary. The accusations led to a series of arrests which were covered by popular media with great interest. Miller is most popular from their work in Perks of Being a Wallflower and recently announced that they are undergoing treatment for several mental health issues.
5) Johnny Depp
The controversies involving Johnny Depp and Amber Heard was perhaps the most popular when it came to making its way into memes and popular culture. The court hearing between the separated couple being public led every incident to be harshly and heavily scrutinized.
Amber Heard accused Depp of domestic abuse and the hearing was aimed at proving the case.
Through a series of hearings which then turned into reels and short-form videos, Depp managed to gather quite a fan-base that began antagonizing Heard and making judgements of their own. Popular personalities on YouTube also began making videos about their opinions on the case as most people were heavily invested in it.
2022 was quite an year for controversies owing to how accessible information and misinformation have become. These are only some of the most popular ones.
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Madhur Dave