"Satan's snapshot"

Terrible curse on DeGeneres’ Oscar selfie?

(Bild: Ellen DeGeneres / dpa Picture Alliance / picturedesk.com)

Did Ellen DeGeneres unintentionally curse herself and her colleagues when she took what is probably the world's most famous celebrity selfie at the Oscars ten years ago? 

Because most of the attendees, who grinned into the camera in their evening gowns and tuxedos at the time, have since experienced some unpleasantness.

At least that's what the US newspaper "New York Post" jokingly reports. But there could be something to it. One after the other has been haunted by "Satan's snapshot". Marriage dramas, courtroom spectacles and career flops followed.

"Hellfie" (Hell+Selfie)
The "Hellfie" (Hell+Selfie), which was a PR stunt by a smartphone manufacturer at the 86th Academy Awards, features Ellen DeGeneres, Kevin Spacey, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Bradley Cooper, Jared Leto, Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep, among others. 

Ellen DeGeneres snapped the most famous selfie of all time with Jennifer Lawrence, Channing Tatum, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Kevin Spacey, Brad Pitt, Bradley Cooper, Lupita Nyong'o and Angelina Jolie.

(Bild: Ellen DeGeneres / dpa Picture Alliance / picturedesk.com)

Pure drama!
What followed was pure drama! DeGeneres, who snapped the selfie on March 3, 2014 and shared it on Twitter (now X), was ousted from the talk show throne after her show was canceled due to the toxic work climate.

Actor Kevin Spacey, on the other hand, has since been repeatedly cited in court for alleged sexual assaults on young men. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie fought an unprecedented divorce battle and have been fighting over children and property for years.

In 2023, it was revealed that Meryl Streep and her husband Don Gummer had also been separated since at least 2017.

Oscar flops instead of a lull in love
Things are going great for Bradley Cooper in terms of love! He is currently dating model Gigi Hadid, but he is still waiting for an Oscar, which he was already looking forward to at the time. When he beamed into the camera in 2014, he was nominated for his second Oscar for "American Hustle".

Since then, the actor has received ten more nominations (including for films he directed and wrote the screenplay for) and never won. 

Four were spared
Since the selfie, Jared Leto has attracted attention with all kinds of craziness, including climbing to the top of the Empire State Building. 

Julia Roberts is still one of the most famous and best-booked actresses, delivering one movie after another. However, she has not been able to repeat her earlier mega-successes.

Lupita Nyong'o, her brother Peter, Jennifer Lawrence and Channing Tatum have so far been spared. With the right Hollywood voodoo, may it stay that way.

Lawrence, at least, should also be protected from the "Oscar curse". It says that if an actress wins the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role, her marriage will break up shortly afterwards.

Jennifer Lawrence won her leading role Oscar for the film "Silver Linings" in 2013, six years before her marriage to art dealer Cooke Maroney, and is therefore probably on the safe side.

Lupita Nyong'o, who is currently making headlines with her liaison with Joshua Jackson, already has at least a supporting role Oscar for "12 Years a Slave". That could also help. 

Incidentally, the next Oscar Gala takes place on Sunday night in Hollywood. The coveted golden statues for achievements in the film industry will be presented for the 96th time.

The experts from "Hollywood Reporter", "Variety" and "IndieWire" see Christopher Nolan's atomic bomb drama "Oppenheimer" as the big winner of the evening.