Credit: Ellen DeGeneres/X
Every Celebrity That’s Been Canceled From The Infamous Oscars Selfie 11 Years On
People are convinced there’s a ‘selfie curse’ on the iconic photo taken by Ellen DeGeneres at the Oscars.
On March 2, 2014, Ellen DeGeneres broke the internet with an impromptu Oscars selfie, featuring a star-studded lineup of Hollywood A-listers.
The moment went viral in an instant, capturing the gleaming smiles of celebrities like Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lawrence, and Meryl Streep, among others.
But a decade later, the bright smiles in that photo have dulled, as many of the stars involved have faced public controversies, career setbacks, and personal challenges.
Ellen DeGeneres
After hosting the iconic selfie moment, Ellen DeGeneres faced severe backlash in 2020 when allegations surfaced about a toxic work environment on her daytime talk show.
This led to public outcry, and her show was eventually canceled in 2022.
Her career never fully recovered from the controversy, and she has since promised we won’t see her in Hollywood again.
Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey, whose career was once in full swing, fell from grace in 2017 following allegations of s**ual misconduct.
While he was acquitted of charges in both the US and the UK, his reputation was permanently tarnished.
His Netflix series House of Cards swiftly dropped him, and his career has been struggling to regain footing since.
Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s high-profile relationship ended in a messy divorce in 2016, with the couple battling over custody of their children and their shared French vineyard.
The fallout from their split continues to play out in the public eye, with a legal battle over the vineyard and accusations of abuse surfacing, casting a shadow over their once-powerful pairing.
Jared Leto
Jared Leto’s career has seen a strange evolution.
From starring in blockbuster flops like Suicide Squad and Morbius, to reports of his leadership of a questionable cult, Leto’s eccentric behavior has made him a divisive figure.
Leto has been at the center of speculation about leading a cult-like following with his band, Thirty Seconds to Mars.
In 2019, the band hosted an island retreat in Croatia called ‘Mars Island,’ where Leto, dressed in all white, was surrounded by fans who called themselves the ‘Echelon.’
Leto himself has leaned into the idea, even posting on social media: “Yes, this is a cult.”
However, he and the band have never officially claimed to be a religious or spiritual group. Instead, they describe their community as a close-knit fanbase.
Though he’s remained active in film, his reputation has taken a curious turn since that fateful selfie.
Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Lawrence once ruled Hollywood, but her rise to fame came with backlash.
Though she’s never done anything particularly egregious, she became a lightning rod for criticism, as many found her overexposure to be grating.
The backlash seemingly led her to step away from the spotlight, releasing only three films between 2017 and 2019 before quietly marrying art gallery director Cooke Maroney — then disappearing from the public eye for two years.
On top of this, her connection to Harvey Weinstein, who she publicly thanked after winning her Oscar, cast a shadow over her success.
The disgraced producer allegedly used her name to pressure an unnamed actress into sleeping with him.
“Do you even want to be an actress? I slept with Jennifer Lawrence and look where she is; she has just won an Oscar,” a lawsuit alleged he said.
Lawrence denied any s**ual relationship with Weinstein, calling it another example of his predatory tactics.
Sadly, her career hasn’t quite reached the same heights since the selfie moment, with fewer standout roles and less public adoration.
Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper, though nominated for 12 Oscars, has never won.
While his career has remained relatively steady, his serious, earnest attempts to create Oscar-worthy content, such as Maestro, have caused his public image to shift.
Cooper addressed the controversy over his use of a prosthetic nose in Maestro, where he portrays composer Leonard Bernstein to the Guardian.
Some critics labeled the decision as antisemitic ‘ethnic cosplay,’ while others defended it, including Bernstein’s children and the Anti-Defamation League.
Cooper also faced backlash for enforcing strict rules on the Maestro set, including a ban on chairs and a secluded filming environment, per the New York Post.
He argued that chairs lower energy levels and maintained a ‘sanctuary’ on set, with few exceptions. Critics online called the policy inhumane, arguing that long hours without seating affect performance and well-being.
Some argue that Cooper’s pursuit of awards has made him one of the least ‘cool’ figures in Hollywood, and his frequent media appearances only seem to exacerbate this perception.
Channing Tatum
Channing Tatum, once a popular heartthrob, has had a quieter presence in Hollywood in recent years.
While he starred in the Magic Mike series and other films, his career hasn’t seen the same momentum it did in the past.
The selfie moment marked a peak that hasn’t been matched by significant recent roles.
Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts, once one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood, has seen her career take a downturn in the past decade.
With a series of underwhelming projects since the selfie moment, her prominence in the industry has faded, with Ticket to Paradise being one of her few recent successes.
Just a few months after the infamous photo was taken, Roberts was accused of driving her half-sister ‘into the deepest depression I’ve ever been in,’ in her s**cide note per The Times.
While some celebrities from this infamous 2014 Oscars selfie still remain unscathed, like Meryl Streep and Lupita and Peter Nyong’o, others have experienced turbulent changes to their careers and personal lives, proving that fame and fortune can be fleeting.
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