The Oscar Curse: Destined to Divorce?

(By Amber Milt) You may not be a stranger to celebrity divorce, but have you heard about the "Oscar curse"? It's a pattern that leaves leading ladies with a best actress statue, but without a spouse. Some claim that these divorces are just a result of men who cannot handle their wife's success. Whether famous or not, no one can argue that disproportionate success can put a strain on any relationship, but could there be something more? We took a look at seven talented, but unlucky-in-love ladies ... so you decide for yourself.

Bette Davis
1936 - Best Actress in a Leading Role, "Dangerous"
The first victim of Oscar's Curse, Davis, shown here giving the Oscar to Marlon Brando in 1955, had been married to Harmon Nelson for four years before receiving her first Oscar in 1936. Three years later, in 1938, she divorced and went on to marry three more times, being once widowed and twice again divorced. She was nominated for three Oscars during her second marriage, which left her a widow, one Oscar during her third marriage, and one more during her fourth marriage. On an interesting note, Brando married in in 1957 and then also divorced two years later.

Joan Crawford
1946 - Best Actress in a Leading Role, "Mildred Pierce"
An experienced divorcee, Crawford was married and divorced twice before she settled down with Philip Terry in 1942. Unfortunately, marital bliss ended four years later in 1946 -- the same year she won the Oscar.

Helen Hunt
1998 - Best Actress in a Leading Role, "As Good as It Gets"
Hunt dated her long-time love, Hank Azaria for five years before marrying him in 1999. She came very close to escaping the curse - they got engaged in 1997; she won the Oscar in 1998; they married in 1999, and divorced in 2000. She has been in a relationship with producer/writer/director Matthew Carnahan since 2001, and they had a daughter in 2004 ... during which time she's never even been nominated for another Oscar.

Halle Berry
2002 - Best Actress in a Leading Role, "Monster's Ball"
Berry, already a divorcee, wed Eric Benet in 2001, and then divorced in 2005 claiming that he had a sex addiction. Our verdict: Berry fell victim to the curse.

Hilary Swank
2005 - Best Actress in a Leading Role, "Million Dollar Baby"
When Swank won an Oscar in 2000 (Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for "Boys Don't Cry"), she was the third-youngest woman to ever take home the honor. The win was an amazing achievement for any actress, and a sign for Hollywood wives that perhaps the fabled curse had been broken. She and husband Chad Lowe seemed to be going strong until her second win in 2005 for "Million Dollar Baby." They divorced just one year later in 2006.

Reese Witherspoon
2006 - Best Actress in a Leading Role, "Walk the Line"
As Hollywood's golden couple, Witherspoon and husband Ryan Phillippe, were certain to last - that is, until she won an Oscar in 2006. The couple separated in October 2006 and divorced in 2008. Witherspoon married agent Jim Toth in 2011, and hasn't been nominated since ... perhaps good news for the couple?

Kate Winslet
2009 - Best Actress in a Leading Role, "The Reader"
Winslet's first marriage to director Jim Threapleton ended without any Oscar wins during their short-lived marriage from 1998 to 2001. Winslet married again in 2003, this time to director Sam Mendes. The couple survived two nominations during their marriage. It wasn't until she won in 2009 that the curse set in, and the couple announced their separation in 2010

Sandra Bullock
2010 - Best Actress in a Leading Role, "The Blindside"
Believing that opposites really do attract, Bullock and hubby Jesse James won over America with their "against the odds" attraction - she, "America's sweetheart" and he, the perennial "bad boy." After marrying in 2005, the couple appeared happy and strong. However, five years after tying the knot, Bullock would win a Razzie (for her performance in "All About Steve"), an Oscar, and find herself in the middle of a very public and humiliating divorce. After discovering that James had committed adultery, they divorced just months after taking home the cursed golden statue.

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