Which Celebrity Tops Online Searches for 2014 (So Far)

Which Celebrity Tops Online Searches 2014 — Robin Williams Top Online Searches - H 2014
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This story first appeared in the Dec. 5 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.

Death and scandal are the surest ways to generate interest online.

Five weeks prior to the new year, the celebrity most often showing up in Internet searches in 2014 has been Robin Williams, whose shocking suicide Aug. 11 led to massive spikes in online activity. And Jennifer Lawrence, at the center of the August nude photo hack, ranks second.

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Search engine Ask.com looked at queries of its 100 million global users between Jan. 1 and Nov. 15. The IAC company acknowledges that, since then, searches for Bill Cosby have spiked due to multiple allegations of sexual assault against him.

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But despite the large volume of negative press surrounding Cosby, he’s not a sure bet to enter the top 10, which so far looks like this.