This star selfie from the Oscars is 10 years old. Why was it cursed for its participants? (9 photos + 1 video)

At the 86th Oscars on March 3, 2014, presenter Ellen DeGeneres wanted to take a selfie that would garner the most retweets in history.





To begin with, she planned to take a photo together with Oscar record holder Meryl Streep, who was nominated for the 18th time that year (hence the idea for the record). However, then Julia Roberts sitting behind her came into the frame, there were three people in the frame, confusion began, and in a matter of seconds a star-studded party formed in front of the presenter’s camera lens.

As a result, the photo really broke the record, going viral on Twitter and even causing disruptions on the social network. Time magazine called it one of the most important in history. But at what cost did all this come!

10 years later, people wondered: what was the fate of all those twelve people who were captured in the legendary photo? And, as it turned out, in eight cases sad events took place.

The same selfie that became “cursed” for many of those who were captured in it



There are 12 people in total. 12 people - 12 destinies. From left to right: Jared Leto, Jennifer Lawrence, Channing Tatum, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ellen DeGeneres, Kevin Spacey, Bradley Cooper, Brad Pitt, Lupita Nyong'o, Peter Nyong'o and Angelina Jolie.

8 out of 12 people (that's 66.6%, by the way) in the photo went through personal or career misfortunes, which is why this selfie could well be considered the starting point of their dark period. Let's go in order.

Jared Leto (barely visible on the left)





Yes, at that ceremony he received the only Oscar in his career, but then his acting business began to decline sharply. First, he got involved in Suicide Squad, playing the most unsuccessful and ridiculed Joker in history. Afterwards “The House of Gucci” and “Morbius” happened, for which he received two Golden Raspberries as the worst actor of the year.

Now Jared has the status of a meme actor who plays ridiculously made-up characters in poorly rated films. During these 10 years, they didn’t even let him come close to the Oscars.

Channing Tatum (slightly better seen than Leto)



In 2018, the actor divorced actress Jenna Dewan, with whom he had been married for 10 years.

Meryl Streep



Still the Oscar record holder for the number of nominations over these 10 years, she has not received a single award. But the main thing is that in 2023, the 74-year-old actress officially divorced sculptor Don Gummer, with whom they had been together since 1978. The couple has four children.

Ellen DeGeneres (initiated the selfie)



In 2022, The Ellen DeGeneres Show closed after 19 years on the air. The reason was media publications, based on the testimony of anonymous employees, that Ellen, as the host and producer of the show, creates a toxic atmosphere of “racism and intimidation”, and also spontaneously fires people for mere trifles or for generally inappropriate reasons (for example, that someone greeted her or looked into her eyes).

The presenter apologized twice for her behavior (without really denying the accusations), but the show was still closed, and Ellen herself was called “the meanest person in the world” on social networks. Now it is in the “canceled” status and is not particularly shining.

Kevin Spacey



In 2017, the actor was accused of sexual harassment. Fifteen people! Of these, eight worked with him on the House of Cards series. Because of all the allegations, Kevin became the most famous canceled actor in Hollywood: the actor was fired from House of Cards, completely cut from the film All the Money in the World and replaced by another actor, although all the scenes had already been filmed, and an Emmy Award. withdrew the actor's nomination for his role in House of Cards.

In 2023, Spacey was acquitted by the court on all charges, but his career has not yet restarted. In all these years, he appeared in only one Italian film, “The Man Who Drew God.”

Bradley Cooper (taking a selfie)



The cursed selfie at the Oscars brought the actor a profile Oscar curse. The happy Bradley in the photo still does not know that he will not receive a statuette either at that ceremony or at the next one, not in 2019, not in 2020, not in 2022, and not even in 2024.

Now the actor has 12 Oscar nominations and exactly 0 wins. This is an absolute record among actors.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie



Famous story: In 2016, Angelina filed for divorce, citing “irreconcilable differences.” At that time, the actor and actress had been married for only 2 years. The couple's split was far from amicable, sparking accusations on both sides, disputes over custody of their six children and a tumultuous division of assets.

Video from the ceremony. This is how this ill-fated selfie was created

Let's be happy for the four other participants in the selfie, Jennifer Lawrence, Julia Roberts and still-husbands Lupita and Peter Nyong'o, who were not affected by the curse (yet).