Shakira, Tom Hanks and Kobe Bryant among celebrities who trended in Google searches in 2020
Shakira sizzled at the Super Bowl, Tom Hanks got COVID-19 as the pandemic was becoming big news, and sports and entertainment icons died far too young.
Google users looked for all the info they could find on each of them.
Searches for Shakira, Hanks, Kobe Bryant and Chadwick Boseman each experienced big spikes for prolonged stretches this year compared with 2019, according to data released Wednesday by the search engine.
Celebs weren’t the only ones trending. Joe Biden turned out search traffic in addition to votes.
Shakira helped headline an exhilarating halftime show at Super Bowl LIV in Miami alongside Jennifer Lopez on Feb. 2, before massive group events were postponed indefinitely by the coronavirus pandemic.
The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer was one of several musical artists who trended in 2020, with Doja Cat, Adele and Lizzo among the others. Tory Lanez, who last month pleaded not guilty in the July shooting of Megan Thee Stallion, was also included on the list.
Hanks, meanwhile, was among the actors spiking. The “Forrest Gump” star announced he and wife Rita Wilson had tested positive for COVID-19 on March 11, the same day the NBA said it was suspending its season due to the outbreak of the virus.
Joaquin Phoenix, who won the Oscar for Best Actor in February for “Joker,” also trended this year, as did “That ‘70s Show” actor Danny Masterson, who was charged in June in connection with three rape cases.
Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif., in January. Boseman, who was 43, died in August following a private four-year battle with colon cancer.
“Parasite,” which won Best Picture at the Oscars, was among the top-trending movies on Google, along with the 2011 flick “Contagion,” which shares some undeniable similarities to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some of the top searches were on serious societal topics.
George Floyd, the Black man whose death in police custody in Minneapolis in May led to protests against police brutality and racial injustice throughout the United States and beyond, also received a large number of searches.
“Even while so many of us stayed home, we looked for ways to connect, support and understand each other,” Google said in its announcement. “We asked, “Why are people clapping?” and “Why is empathy important?” And for the first time, people all over the world searched for Black Lives Matter—increasing fivefold compared to the previous year.”
Tom Brady, who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in March after two decades as quarterback of the New England Patriots, was one of the top-trending athletes.
Two series that premiered shortly after people began to quarantine — “Tiger King” and the 10-part Michael Jordan documentary “The Last Dance” — were both included on the list of TV shows that trended.
