The Top 5 Trending Celebs in 2022, According to Google Year in Search

Collage of Amber Heard, Adam Levine, Johnny Depp, Chris Rock and Will Smith — Getty Images

As we get ready to close the book on 2022, it’s time to reflect on what took up space in our hearts, minds… and search history this year. To help us out, Google has just released their “Year in Search” report for 2022, which reveals insights “about the questions we shared, the people who inspired us and the moments that captured the world’s attention.”

While the report offers some interesting insights in general (the top search, both globally and in Canada, for example, is “Wordle”), we’re narrowing in on the people in pop culture that Canadians were most curious about.

The top 5 trending celebrity searches in Canada in 2022

When it comes to the celebs that we’re most interested in, it looks like controversy and scandal are major driving factors. According to Google, here are the top five trending searches for celebs in Canada this year:

Johnny Depp. As NBC News notes, Johnny Depp topped Google’s list of trending people in 2022, likely as a result of search around the high-profile defamation case between Depp and his ex-wife, Amber Heard.
Will Smith. Even though the 2022 Oscars happened way back in March, debate and search about Will Smith’s on-stage slap of Chris Rock seems to persist, as Smith comes in as the second-most searched celebrity in Canada (and the second-most searched actor, globally). In November, Smith addressed the slap on an episode of The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.
Amber Heard. As we already mentioned, the Depp-Heard defamation trial was top-of-mind for many people, which likely propelled search about the actress in 2022. While a jury found Heard liable of defaming her ex-husband, Depp, in the summer, E! News reports that Heard filed an appeal against the judgment on Dec. 5.
Chris Rock. While the comedian has made news for his comedy this year (in November, for example, it was announced that Rock will be the first person to perform live on Netflix, according to People), curiosity around the Oscars, Will Smith and the slap likely contributed to search for Chris Rock this year.
Adam Levine. As the central figure in a complex flirty text scandal, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine — who is also currently expecting another baby with his wife, model Behati Prinsloo — was also a top search topic this year.