The 10 Biggest Triumphs and Tragedies of 2022
See the scandals and successes that rocked this year
From the LifeMinute.TV Team
December 29, 2022
Every year has its highs and lows, and 2022 was no different, throwing us some stellar moments and some scandalous ones. These are the ten that will go down in history for fame or infamy. You be the judge.
Olympic Games Beijing 2022
The year started on a high as the XXIV Olympic Winter Games commenced in February, featuring ice hockey, skiing, figure skating, snowboarding, curling, and many more athletic feats. Beijing became the first city in the world to have hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.
Hip-Hop Superstar Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show
Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, and 50 Cent took over the stage at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. It was a long-awaited first featuring only rappers and R&B heavy hitters to make hip-hop history on February 13.
The Slap Heard Around the World
The 94th Academy Awards was looking to be promising for Will Smith, who was up for his first Oscar for Best Actor. However, before the award was given out, the actor got into an onstage altercation with host Chris Rock over a joke he made at the expense of his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, resulting in the infamous slap that left the live audience confused if it was real or scripted. Later that evening, Smith went on to win Best Actor and gave a tearful speech apologizing for the violent outburst, which confirmed it was indeed not an act.
The Trial of the Decade: Depp v. Heard
In a courtroom drama that not even the best Hollywood writers could dream up, we saw ex-spouses Johnny Depp and Amber Heard face off for seven weeks at the defamation trial in Virginia. Depp took on the role of his lifetime, as himself, defending his character as the world turned in to see all the sordid details of their tumultuous marriage come to light. The verdict was a significant victory for the Pirates of the Caribbean star, with the jury determining he should receive $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.
Top Gun: Maverick Soars at the Box Office
The highly anticipated sequel to the 1986 Top Gun, starring Tom Cruise, returned to the big screen on May 27. The film grossed more than $1.4 billion at the global box office and $692 million domestically after 14 weeks in cinemas. It currently stands as the No. 6 highest-grossing film in domestic box-office history and the No. 1 film of 2022.
Serena Williams Plays Final Match
The GOAT stepped onto the tennis court for the last time in her professional career at Arthur Ashe Stadium during the US Open on September 2. The 23-time Grand Slam champion ultimately lost the final match against her opponent, Ajla Tomljanović, but she and her sister Venus will be forever remembered as legends.
Adam Levine Adulterous DMs
Just when we may have thought the Maroon 5 singer and supermodel wife Behati Prinsloo had the perfect relationship, inappropriate direct messages between Levine and Instagram model Sumner Stroh surfaced. This prompted other girls to come forward with incriminating statements from the singer. What made matters worse is the couple recently announced they were expecting a third baby. Levine quickly posted an apology on Instagram, acknowledging, "I crossed a line." But he denied an affair, reiterating, “My wife and family is all I care about in this world...And we will get through it together.”
Elon Musk Buys Twitter
The now second-richest man in the world caused a stir when he made an unsolicited offer to purchase the social media company on April 14. It took several months before the deal went through on October 27. The billionaire acquired Twitter for $44 billion. Since the takeover, Musk has fired top executives and laid off half of its 7,500 full-time employees. The Tesla CEO announced plans to launch Twitter Blue, which would charge users $7.99 for blue-checkmark verification. He also released to select journalists the "Twitter Files," a set of internal Twitter, Inc. documents such as screenshots, emails, and chat logs between Twitter employees discussing company policies, asserting to expose alleged bias and government influence in content moderation.
Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen Announce Divorce
The once-power couple announced on October 28 that after 13 years of marriage, they were going their separate ways. There was speculation his return to the NFL just 40 days into retirement prompted the split. However, the 7-time Super Bowl champ and the Brazilian supermodel are committed to keeping the divorce amicable for their children.
Messi Leads Argentina to World Cup Victory
Lionel Messi helped bring his team to victory over France at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar on December 18. The 35-year-old stepped on the field for his 5th time at the prestigious tournament, but this marked his first-time taking home the trophy. The soccer player scored seven goals in the 2022 World Cup, with two being at the final match, which ended with Argentina defeating France 4-2 on penalties after a 3-3 draw.