It’s hard to imagine there being any negative consequences to being awarded the highest honour in one’s profession.
But a well-known ‘curse’ could be the reason why some nominees might not want a presenter to read out their name following the lines “and the winner is…” at the Oscars next week.
READ MORE: Check out who’s up for the awards at this year’s event here.
According to the superstition, a star who is awarded a best acting Academy Award is doomed to have their relationship fail in the years following the win.
There’s even a Wikipedia page devoted to the ‘fact’ and everything (there is also a page for a horse named Potoooooooo, so take this with a grain of salt).
LISTEN: The period drama Mudbound has been a surprise success for Netflix with a tonne of Oscar nominations. Here’s why it’s one to watch. Post continues after audio…
According to the Hollywood legend, the curse dates all the way back to the 1930s and 40s, when starlets of the silver screen Bette Davis and Ginger Rogers found themselves single just one or two years after they won the award.
Overall there are around 30 examples of the ‘Oscar curse’, with some of the biggest names in showbiz being lumped into the group of ‘those who have lost love after winning an Oscar’.
Overwhelmingly, the examples lean towards female winners of the Best Actress category, with some assuming their divorces are the result of a man not being able to handle a woman’s success (insert eye roll here…).
Like Sandra Bullock, who filed for divorce from her husband of five years, Jesse James, after learning of his affairs just one month after winning the Best Actress award for her role in The Blind Side.
Kate Winslet also parted ways with director Sam Mendes in 2010 after a 'cheating scandal', just a year after her stint in The Reader won her the coveted award.
Other stars like Reese Witherspoon, Hilary Swank, Halle Berry, Susan Sarandon, Emma Thompson and Liza Minnelli have all found themselves in similar situations after their respective wins.
Of course, male actors also face similar situations when it comes to their relationships - and, unlike their female counterparts, they don't even have to win to be affected.
Male stars are actually more likely to part ways with their partner after a win OR a nomination, with the likes of Casey Affleck, Sean Penn, Bradley Cooper - who split from his long-time girlfriend Suki Waterhouse just one month after the Oscars ceremony - and Brad Pitt.
Famous faces of the 'Oscars curse'.
There's nothing incredibly scientific that points to an actual link between and Oscar win and a 'failed' relationship, and it could just be a case of more fame, more focus on a relationship and therefore more pressure.
Or you know, it could just be incredibly coincidental timing.
For now, we're going to file the curse under 'things that are interesting but probably no more accurate than the theory that a black cat crossing your path means you are destined for years of bad luck'.