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Johnny Depp won his defamation case against Amber Heard, likely in part because of the sway of social media.
Johnny Depp won his defamation case against Amber Heard, likely in part because of the sway of social media. Photo: Steve Helber (AP)

When it came to this year’s most searched people, two events seemed to dominate: Johnny Depps’ defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard and the mythic Will Smith / Chris Rock Academy Awards slap (with just a dash of continued interest in Russia’s war in Ukraine.) The top 5 most searched overall names were:

Johnny Depp

Will Smith

Amber Heard

Vladimir Putin

Chris Rock

And for Actors, the list was very similar, minus the Russian politician and plus Will Smith’s wife and fellow actor, Jada Pinkett Smith:

Johnny Depp

Will Smith

Amber Heard

Chris Rock

Jada Pinkett Smith