Biggest Scandals of 2022: From Will Smith’s Oscars Slap to TJ Holmes and Amy Robach’s ‘GMA3’ Affair

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Biggest Scandals of 2022: From Will Smith's Oscars Slap to TJ Holmes and Amy Robach's 'GMA3' Affair

A year to remember. As 2022 comes to a close, Us Weekly is reflecting on the biggest events of the last 365 days — and these scandals will stay with Us long after the ball drops. Among the first massive scandals of the year is one everyone is still talking about: The Slap. It was March 27, and it appeared the Oscars would be another forgettable prom night for Hollywood — until Chris Rock presented best documentary. The Madagascar star was presenting when he cracked a joke about Will Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, starring in G.I. Jane 2, a reference to her bald head. (The actress has been open about suffering from alopecia.) The Emancipation star then stormed the stage and hit Rock, before returning to his seat and yelling for him to “keep my wife’s name out your f—king mouth.” Shortly after, Smith won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in King Richard. The following day, Smith issued a public apology for his “unacceptable and inexcusable” actions. “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness,” he wrote via Instagram at the time. Smith later resigned from the Academy and was barred from participating in all Oscars-related events, including next year’s ceremony, for 10 years. He went on to apologize to Rock again in a July YouTube video, adding that while he has tried to get in contact with the stand-up star, “the message that came back is that he’s not ready to talk. And when he is, he will reach out.” Smith continued, “So I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk. … I’m trying not to think of myself as a piece of s—t.” For his part, Rock has only addressed the scandal in his stand-up shows. "Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face," Rock joked during a stand-up performance in Holmdel, New Jersey, on July 24, an eyewitness told Us exclusively. "I'm not a victim, mother--ker," he later added. "Yeah, that sh-t hurt, motherf--ker. But I shook that sh-t off and went to work the next day ... I don't go to the hospital for a papercut." The scandal will likely be discussed further in 2023 as Rock's live Netflix special, titled Chris Rock: Selective Outrage, debuts one week before the next Oscars ceremony. That won't be the only scandal that carries over to 2023. GMA3 anchors T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach's alleged affair still has fans buzzing even amid their absence from the airwaves. The TV personalities, who are married to other people, are expected to return to ABC in early 2023 after the network completes an internal review of their workplace romance. While not every scandal will have ramifications that go into 2023, the others were just as unforgettable. From prison sentences to cheating drama, scroll down to relive all the biggest scandals of 2022:

Credit: John Nacion/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

Biggest Scandals of 2022: From Will Smith's Oscars Slap to TJ Holmes and Amy Robach's 'GMA3' Affair

A year to remember. As 2022 comes to a close, Us Weekly is reflecting on the biggest events of the last 365 days — and these scandals will stay with Us long after the ball drops. Among the first massive scandals of the year is one everyone is still talking about: The Slap. It was March 27, and it appeared the Oscars would be another forgettable prom night for Hollywood — until Chris Rock presented best documentary. The Madagascar star was presenting when he cracked a joke about Will Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, starring in G.I. Jane 2, a reference to her bald head. (The actress has been open about suffering from alopecia.) The Emancipation star then stormed the stage and hit Rock, before returning to his seat and yelling for him to “keep my wife’s name out your f—king mouth.” Shortly after, Smith won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in King Richard. The following day, Smith issued a public apology for his “unacceptable and inexcusable” actions. “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness,” he wrote via Instagram at the time. Smith later resigned from the Academy and was barred from participating in all Oscars-related events, including next year’s ceremony, for 10 years. He went on to apologize to Rock again in a July YouTube video, adding that while he has tried to get in contact with the stand-up star, “the message that came back is that he’s not ready to talk. And when he is, he will reach out.” Smith continued, “So I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk. … I’m trying not to think of myself as a piece of s—t.” For his part, Rock has only addressed the scandal in his stand-up shows. "Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face," Rock joked during a stand-up performance in Holmdel, New Jersey, on July 24, an eyewitness told Us exclusively. "I'm not a victim, mother--ker," he later added. "Yeah, that sh-t hurt, motherf--ker. But I shook that sh-t off and went to work the next day ... I don't go to the hospital for a papercut." The scandal will likely be discussed further in 2023 as Rock's live Netflix special, titled Chris Rock: Selective Outrage, debuts one week before the next Oscars ceremony. That won't be the only scandal that carries over to 2023. GMA3 anchors T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach's alleged affair still has fans buzzing even amid their absence from the airwaves. The TV personalities, who are married to other people, are expected to return to ABC in early 2023 after the network completes an internal review of their workplace romance. While not every scandal will have ramifications that go into 2023, the others were just as unforgettable. From prison sentences to cheating drama, scroll down to relive all the biggest scandals of 2022:

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The Slap

As Smith returned to Hollywood to promote his Apple TV+ film, Emancipation, he understood that not everyone would welcome him with open arms.

“I completely understand that if someone is not ready, I would absolutely respect that and allow them their space to not be ready,” Smith shared on Good Day DC on November 27 when asked about how fans will respond to the film. “My deepest concern is my team, you know? [Director] Antoine [Fuqua] has done what I think is the greatest work of his entire career. … The people on this team have done some of the best work of their entire careers, and my deepest hope is that my actions don’t penalize my team. At this point, that’s what I’m working for. That’s what I’m hoping for.”

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Prince Andrew Loses His Titles

Though he permanently resigned from all public roles in May 2020, the Duke of York lost his titles amid news of ​ his sexual assault lawsuit. “With The Queen’s approval and agreement, The Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen,” Buckingham Palace announced in a statement on January 13. “The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen.”

A judge dismissed the royal’s request to throw out a lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre, who claimed that the late Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell made her have sex with Andrew when she was 17 years old. The prince has denied the claims. His lawyers said the lawsuit should be thrown out because of a settlement Giuffre reached with Epstein in 2009, but the judge disagreed. Andrew settled his lawsuit with Giuffre out of court for an unknown amount of money in February.

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Jen Shah Pleads Guilty

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star and her assistant, Stuart Smith, were arrested in March 2021 for their alleged roles in a telemarketing scheme that defrauded hundreds of victims, many of whom were 55 or older. She initially pleaded not guilty, but she changed her plea to guilty in July.

“In 2012 to March 2021 in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere I agreed with others to commit wire fraud,” the reality star told Judge Sidney Stein, reading from a prepared statement. “I knew this was wrong. I knew many people were harmed and I’m so sorry.”

When the judge asked Shah if she knew her actions were “wrong and illegal,” the Shah Beauty founder replied, “Yes, your honor.”

When she changed her plea to guilty over the summer, Shah entered into a plea agreement with federal prosecutors that called for a prison sentence of up to 14 years. The agreement also stipulated that she would have to pay victims up to $9.5 million in restitution. Shah previously faced up to 30 years in prison for the wire fraud charge and 20 additional years for the money laundering charge. She'll be officially sentenced in 2023.

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Adam Levine Allegedly Cheated on Behati Prinsloo

Just four days after Behati Prinsloo announced her pregnancy with her and the Maroon 5 singer's third child, Instagram model Sumner Stroh claimed via TikTok that she and Levine had an affair that lasted “for about a year," and multiple other women followed Stroh to come forward with similar claims. The “Sugar” musician took to social media the next day to address the allegations.

“I used poor judgment in speaking with anyone other than my wife in ANY kind of flirtatious manner. I did not have an affair, nevertheless, I crossed the line during a regrettable period of my life,” he wrote via his Instagram Story. “In certain instances, it became inappropriate. I have addressed that and taken proactive steps to remedy this with my family.”

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Khloe Kardashian Welcomes Baby No. 2 After Cheating Scandal

As Thompson's cheating scandal played out on The Kardashians, no one expected the exes to welcome a kid together. The Good American founder's surrogate conceived the baby weeks before Kardashian learned that Thompson cheated on her with Maralee Nichols and welcomed son Theo in December 2021.

“We can confirm True will have a sibling who was conceived in November,” a rep for the Hulu personality told Us Weekly in July. “Khloe is incredibly grateful to the extraordinary surrogate for such a beautiful blessing. We’d like to ask for kindness and privacy so that Khloe can focus on her family.” The former couple welcomed their son at the end of the month.

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Don't Worry Darling's Downward Spiral

Where do we even begin with Don't Worry Darling? Director Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles' relationship was confirmed in January when they attended a wedding together, but that wasn't even scandalous by the time the movie hit theaters. 

One month before the film debuted, Shia LeBeouf alleged that he was not fired but quit the movie and a video with Wilde referencing Florence Pugh as "Miss Flo" seemed to show she was trying to keep the controversial actor onboard and fueled rumors of a feud between the women. 

Then, the drama came to a head at the world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September. Pugh was never scheduled to do much press for the movie, having been committed to filming Dune 2. However, she didn't even participate in the film's press conference in Venice, arriving only in time for the red carpet. Later, in the theater, Styles sat next to Chris Pine and video circulated that appeared as though the singer spit in his costar's lap. Pine's rep denied "spitgate" happened while Styles joked about it at a concert.

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Candace Cameron Bure's 'Traditional Marriage' Controversy

The Full House alum told WSJ. Magazine in November about the network’s plans to focus on heterosexual couples. “I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core,” she told the outlet.

In the same interview, Great American Media CEO Bill Abbott said, “It is the year 2022, and we are aware of the trends. There is no whiteboard saying, ‘Yes, this,’ or ‘We will never do that.’”

The comments triggered backlash with many saying gay unions are just as "traditional" as heterosexual marriages and others calling out the network for what they claimed was exclusion. Some stars, such as Neal Bledsoe, even refused to work with Great American Media again.

Cameron Bure eventually responded to the backlash with a lengthy statement shared via Instagram. “All of you who know me, know beyond question that I have great love and affection for all people,” the Fuller House alum wrote. “It absolutely breaks my heart that anyone would ever think I intentionally would want to offend and hurt anyone. … I am a devoted Christian. Which means that I believe that every human being bears the image of God. Because of that, I am called to love all people, and I do. If you know me, you know that I am a person who loves fiercely and indiscriminately.”

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Todd and Julie Chrisley Found Guilty and Sentenced to Prison

The Chrisley Knows Best stars were initially charged with several counts of bank and wire fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy in 2019, after allegedly exaggerating their earnings to banks in order to borrow more than $30 million. The duo, however, pleaded not guilty to all charges at the time, claiming that their former employee Mark Braddock committed the crimes behind their back by impersonating Todd after he was fired in 2012.

At the conclusion of their May trial, Todd and Julie, who have been married since 1996, were found guilty on all counts. The jury ruled in June that Todd and Julie were responsible for five counts of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of tax fraud. Additionally, Julie was charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of obstruction of justice after being accused of creating a fake credit report and false bank statements to rent a home.

In November, Todd was sentenced to 12 years in prison while Julie was sentenced to seven years. The couple will also have to serve 16 months of probation for their crimes.

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Kanye West's Antisemitic Comments

West made headlines in October when he said he was going "death con 3 [sic] On JEWISH PEOPLE." Dozens of celebrities — including his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian — lambasted the Yeezy designer’s words and condemned the hateful rhetoric.

Days after his initial tweet, West appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored where he apologized to “the people that I hurt” with the message — but stated that he did not regret the remarks.

“I will say I’m sorry for the people that I hurt with the ‘death con’ [comments]. I feel like I caused hurt and confusion. And I’m sorry for the families of the people that had nothing to do with the trauma that I had been through, and that I used my platform where you say hurt people hurt people,” the “Jesus Walks” artist shared at the time. “I was hurt.”

The Yeezy designer was dropped from CAA, a completed documentary about him was shelved and he lost deals with Balenciaga, Foot Locker, Gap and Adidas.

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Prince Harry Was Not Allowed to Wear His Military Uniform

The Duke of Sussex had to return his military titles in 2021 to Queen Elizabeth II after he and wife Meghan Markle stepped down from duties as senior royals. When Harry's grandmother died in September, he was forbidden from wearing his uniform to any public events — despite serving 10 years in the armed forces.

The palace confirmed that Prince Andrew — who was stripped of his titles in January, two years after he was accused of sexual assault — was granted permission to wear his military uniform for one event, the late monarch’s final vigil, “as a special mark of respect.” (He was not given permission to wear his uniform for other funeral events alongside his siblings.) After news broke that Harry was not granted the same exception, there was backlash. The palace appeared to have a change of heart ahead of the queen’s final vigil.

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Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's Defamation Trial

In June, a jury sided with the Pirates of the Caribbean actor after a weeks-long deliberation. Depp won $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, the latter of which was later reduced to $350,000 due to Virginia state law. Heard, meanwhile, was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages.

Heard and Depp were married from 2015 to 2017. The Finding Neverland actor sued his ex-wife in 2019 after she published an op-ed describing her experience as a survivor of domestic violence. Although Heard did not mention Depp by name in the article, her ex claimed that her allegations of violence damaged his career and reputation.

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Blac Chyna Sued the Kardashians for $100 Million

Amid her 2017 split from Rob Kardashian, with whom she shares daughter Dream, Chyna filed a lawsuit for $100 million against Kim Kardashian, Khloé, Kris Jenner and Kylie Jenner, alleging they conspired to cancel reality show Rob & Chyna.

Two weeks after the trial kicked off in April, a judge ruled in the Kardashians' favor when the case was dismissed.

“On behalf of Kris, Kim, Khloé and Kylie, we want to express our appreciation to the jury. We are also grateful for the steady hand of Judge Gregory Alarcon in making sure that this was a fair trial,” attorneys for the family, Michael Rhodes and Michelle Doolin, told Us in a statement in May. “The jury sent a clear message to Ms. White and her lawyer — I hope they are listening. Justice has prevailed.”

Chyna’s attorney noted that her client has plans to appeal the decision after she was not awarded any damages.

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Try Guys Cheating Scandal

Ned Fulmer, best known for being one-fourth of the YouTube channel The Try Guys, admitted to cheating on his wife, Ariel Fulmer, with whom he shares sons Wesley, 4, and Finn, 2.

“Family should have always been my priority, but I lost focus and had a consensual workplace relationship,” the Internet personality wrote in a statement shared via Twitter at the time. “I’m sorry for any pain that my actions may have caused to the guys and the fans, but most of all to [my wife] Ariel. The only thing that matters right now is my marriage and my children, and that’s where I am going to focus my attention.”

Ned’s statement came hours after the remaining members of The Try Guys — Keith Habersberger, Zach Kornfeld, and Eugene Lee Yang — announced that they had severed ties with him following his infidelity. “Ned Fulmer is no longer working with The Try Guys,” the trio wrote in a statement shared via social media. “As the result of a thorough internal review, we do not see a path forward together.”

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Nia Long and Ime Udoka Split Amid Cheating Allegations

In September, The Athletic reported that tje Boston Celtics head coach — who has been in a relationship with actress Long since 2010 — had an “intimate and consensual relationship with a female member” of the team’s staff. The alleged relationship was not only considered “improper” by the franchise but is also a violation of the NBA’s code of conduct. One day later, the Boston Celtics announced that Udoka had been suspended for the 2022-2023 season due to “violations of team policies."

Long, who welcomed son Kenzi with Udoka in 2011, released a statement of her own on September 23, in which she addressed her fiancé’s scandal. “The outpouring love and support from family, friends and the community during this difficult time means so much to me,” the Best Man star told Us Weekly at the time. “I ask that my privacy be respected as I process the recent events. Above all, I am a mother and will continue to focus on my children.”

The pair confirmed their split in December.

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'GMA3' Anchors TJ Holmes and Amy Robach's Affair

The morning TV anchors were benched from the third hour of Good Morning America after the twosome were photographed packing on the PDA throughout the month of November. The coanchors are both married to other people.

Robach tied the knot with husband Andrew Shue in 2010 (they share no children but Robach has two daughters with ex-husband Tim McIntosh and is stepmom to Shue’s three sons). Holmes, for his part, has also been married twice. After his divorce from Amy Ferson, with whom he shares daughter Brianna and son Jaiden, he wed Marilee Fiebig in 2010. They welcomed daughter Sabine in January 2013. They filed for divorce in late December. 

They've been off the air since December 5. "T.J. and Amy are not on camera currently because ABC wants to make sure it’s able to do a full review of their relationship before bringing them back on air,” an insider exclusively explained to Us at the time, noting that the network is “putting resources in so there are no surprises” before deciding “how to proceed.”

The lovebirds were spotted getting cozy in New York just before the holidays amid ABC's review of their alleged romance.