Google reveals most searched celebrities of 2016
The most Googled actress of 2016 is not on “Game of Thrones” or “Stranger Things,” but she might be part of Britain’s Royal Family one day.
Meghan Markle, girlfriend of Prince Harry and an actress on USA’s “Suits,” was no. 1 on the list of most Googled actresses in 2016, putting her ahead of stars like Marion Cotillard and Daisy Ridley.
It’s not because of Markle’s work on “Suits,” though, that she was a trending topic on Google: The top related queries include “harry meghan markle,” “meghan prince harry” and “prince harry.” Searches for her name peaked on Nov. 8, when Prince Harry confirmed that he was dating the actress and blasted the media for subjecting her to a “wave of abuse.”
Markle was followed by Marion Cotillard, whose searches peaked in late September, when the “Allied” actress took to Instagram to deny having an affair with Brad Pitt. “Fuller House” actress Jodie Sweetin came in at no. 3, after making a comeback through the Netflix reboot.
Here are the top 10 Googled actresses of 2016:
1. Meghan Markle
2. Marion Cotillard
3. Jodie Sweetin
4. Daisy Ridley
5. Brie Larson
6. Jenna Dewan Tatum
7. Leslie Jones
8. Kate McKinnon
9. Alicia Vikander
10. Millie Bobby Brown
Brad Pitt was the most Googled male actor of 2016, thanks to his high-profile separation from Angelina Jolie. The actor’s searches peaked right after the couple announced their divorce.
Actresses aren’t the only ones who get attention for who they’re dating. Tom Hiddleston came in at no. 2 on the list of most Googled actors, peaking in early July after he was spotted cavorting with Taylor Swift at her Fourth of July bash. “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda rounded out the 10.
1. Brad Pitt
2. Tom Hiddleston
3. Adam Driver
4. Jesse Williams
5. Tom Holland
6. Jeffrey Dean Morgan
7. Thomas Gibson
8. Sebastian Stan
9. Taylor Lautner
10. Lin-Manuel Miranda
As far as musicians, it’s not exactly surprising that Beyonce topped searches for 2016 after the drop of her visual album “Lemonade” in April and her controversial Super Bowl performance in February. Céline Dion came in second, with searches peaking just after her husband’s death in mid-January, and Kesha came in third thanks to her legal battles against Dr. Luke.
1. Beyoncé
2. Céline Dion
3. Kesha
4. Kehlani
5. Coldplay
6. Teyana Taylor
7. Grace Vanderwaal
8. Kanye West
9. Jacob Sartorius
10. Guns n Roses
Surprised to see nary a Kardashian or Jenner on the list? Remember -- they’re not actors or musicians, but Kim Kardashian West did make no. 1 for the list of top searched selfies on Google.