Johnny Depp topped Google’s list of trending individuals and celebrities in 2022.

Johnny Depp

According to Google’s “2022 Year in Search Themes and Insights” report, released on Wednesday, the data represents this year’s most searched topics. These trending topics are defined by Google as searches that experienced a significant increase in traffic over a sustained period compared to the previous year.

In June, a judge ruled in favor of Depp in his defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife, Amber Heard. Heard herself ranked as the third most searched individual on Google this year. {Deadline Report}

The highly publicized Depp-Heard trial captivated users’ search histories. It stemmed from a 2018 opinion piece by Heard in The Washington Post, where she identified herself as a “public figure symbolizing domestic violence.” This led Depp to file a defamation lawsuit against her in 2019, with the trial commencing in April of this year.

The jury concluded that Heard had indeed defamed Depp, awarding him $15 million in damages. Additionally, Heard was granted $2 million in compensatory damages from her $100 million countersuit against Depp. The trial verdict ranked as the sixth most trending news topic. {independent.co.uk}

Google’s 2022 list also highlighted the Oscars incident involving Will Smith slapping Chris Rock after a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. This event captured significant attention, ranking eighth in the most popular “news” category.