Johnny Depp topped the list of Google’s 2022 trending people.
The 59-year-old actor is No. 1 on the search-engine’s list of people who “had a high spike in traffic over a sustained period in 2022 as compared to 2021,” according to Google.
Right behind Depp at No. 2 is Will Smith, followed by Depp’s ex-wife Amber Heard, with whom he was involved in a highly publicized defamation trial over the summer, at No. 3.
Rounding out the top 5 are Antonio Brown and Kari Lake, while Chris Rock — whom Smith, 54, slapped in the face onstage at the Academy Awards in March — appeared on the rankings at No. 7.
The top 3 trending searches overall were “Wordle,” “election results” and “Betty White,” respectively. (White died on Dec. 31, 2021, 17 days before her 100th birthday.)
At the Virginia trial between Depp and Heard, 36, a seven-person jury found that the Aquaman actress defamed Depp in her 2018 op-ed about domestic violence, though she didn’t mention him by name in the article. He was awarded more than $10 million in damages. Additionally, Heard won one of her defamation counterclaims and was awarded $2 million.
Heard recently appealed the verdict, with her new lawyers questioning the June 1 decision as well as why the trial was allowed to take place in Virginia instead of California. Depp is also appealing, having called the counterclaim verdict “erroneous” in a filing last month.
Depp has been in the news since the verdict for various pursuits, including a surprise appearance at the 2022 MTV VMAs in August, releasing new music with Jeff Beck, and a November spot in Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Vol. 4 fashion show.
Last month, a source told PEOPLE that Heard “is focused on raising her daughter” Oonagh, 19 months, as they reside together overseas for the time being.
“The trial was exhausting for her,” the insider said of Heard. “She missed her little girl.”
The source added that the Danish Girl actress “has spent the last few months in Europe,” which she “loves,” and that the actress “is able to just be a mom there.”
“She is focused on raising her daughter,” the insider said. “She spends every day with her girl. They stroll around, visit parks and enjoy family time. Amber is a great mom.”
[via]
