Arts & Entertainment

'The Slap' And Other Top Pop Culture Moments of 2022: Photos

Will slaps Chris, Bennifer gets married, Johnny wins libel case over Amber and there's a Wordle for that: 2022 was a year of shock and awe.

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Will Smith, right, hits presenter Chris Rock on stage while presenting the award for best documentary feature at the Oscars on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Will Smith, right, hits presenter Chris Rock on stage while presenting the award for best documentary feature at the Oscars on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

ACROSS AMERICA--This year was chock full of shocking pop culture moments we won't soon forget.

Among the pop culture stories that dominated headlines for weeks: Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars over a joke Rock made about Smith's wife's appearance. Ticketmaster's site couldn't handle the volume of fans wanting to get tickets to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. Bennifer got married, Kim Kardashian dropped jaws when she wore Marilyn Monroe's original "Happy Birthday"dress to the MET Gala.

Here's a look at some of the most notable pop culture moments from this year:

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Taylor Swift Receives A Doctorate Degree

Taylor Swift, center, waves to graduates as she participates in a graduation ceremony for New York University at Yankee Stadium in New York, Wednesday, May 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Elon Musk Buys Twitter

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After much back and forth, Elon Musk finalized his acquisition of Twitter in October for $44 billion. (Patrick Pleul/Pool via AP, File)

Gisele Bündchen And Tom Brady Divorce

The couple announced their divorce, ending their 13-year marriage. (AP Photo/Andre Penner, left, and Jonathan Bachman)

Wordle Is Everyone's Favorite Game

As soon as it became an overnight sensation, The New York Times purchased the word puzzle game. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

Jon Batiste Wins Big At The Grammys

Jon Batiste — who took home five Grammys back in April. He was the winner of the awards for best American roots performance for "Cry," best American roots song for "Cry," best music video for "Freedom," best score soundtrack for visual media for "Soul," and album of the year for "We Are" — poses in the press room at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 3, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

Johnny Depp Wins Libel Case Against Amber Heard

Actor Johnny Depp waves to supporters as he departs the Fairfax County Courthouse during his high-profile libel lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard, on May 27, 2022 in Fairfax, Virginia. (AP Photo/Craig Hudson, File)

Sheryl Lee Ralph Wins Emmy For 'Abbott Elementary'

Sheryl Lee Ralph accepts the Emmy for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series for "Abbott Elementary" at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 12, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark Terrill, File)

Heidi Klum Dresses As An Earthworm For Halloween

Heidi Klum attends her 21st annual Halloween party on Oct. 31, 2022, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Tom Cruise Breaks A Box Office Record

"Top Gun: Maverick" became Tom Cruise's highest-grossing domestic debut to date and made $100 million on opening weekend. (Scott Garfield/Paramount Pictures via AP)

Kim Kardashian Wears Marilyn Monroe's 'Happy Birthday' Dress

Kim Kardashian wore the original and infamous dress Marilyn Monroe wore to JFK's 1962 Birthday party at this year's MET Gala. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Sidney Poitier Dies At 94

President Barack Obama, right, presents the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom to Sidney Poitier during ceremonies in the East Room at the White House in Washington on Aug. 12, 2009. Among the entertainers who died in 2022 was groundbreaking actor Poitier, who played roles with such dignity that it helped change the way Black people were portrayed on screen. Poitier, who died in January, became the first Black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the 1963 film “Lilies of the Field." (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Troy Kotsur Wins Best Supporting Actor Oscar

Troy Kotsur, nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actor for his role in the film "CODA," poses for a photo at Red Rock Park in Mesa, Arizona, on Jan. 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Ben And Jen Get Married

After reuniting in 2021, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck made their love official by getting hitched in a quickie wedding in Las Vegas., and exchanged vows in a larger and more lavish ceremony in late August. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

'Don't Worry Darling' Drama

Months leading up to its release, the news about the film was filled with rumors surrounding Olivia Wilde's love life and working relationship with lead actress Florence Pugh. However, at the height of the drama was whether or not Harry Styles spat on Chris Pine at the Venice International Film Festival. (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)

Julia Fox Teaches Us New 'Uncut Gems' Pronunciation

Julia Fox went on Alex Cooper's "Call Her Daddy" Podcast to discuss her life and how she became a muse for the Safdie brother's film "Uncut Gems". Her pronunciation of the film became TikTok's favorite meme in February of this year. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Black Panther Triumphs At The Box Office

"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" had a lot to live up to after the success of the original film and the loss of its lead actor, Chadwick Boseman. However, the movie was a box office success, raking in $180 million on opening weekend. (Marvel Studios via AP)

The Duke And Duchess Of Sussex Release 'Harry & Meghan'

Office workers in London, watch the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's controversial documentary being aired on Netflix Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022. Britain’s monarchy is bracing for more bombshells to be lobbed over the palace gates as Netflix releases the first three episodes of a new series. The show “Harry & Meghan” promises to tell the “full truth” about Prince Harry and his wife Meghan’s estrangement from the royal family. The series debuted Thursday. (Jonathan Brady/PA via AP)

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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