Oscar Winning Actresses And Their Romantic Break-ups

The 87th Academy Awards is just around the corner and we take a look back at 8 Oscar-winning actresses who took home the prize but lost in love.

Within a short time of tasting victory, they had problems with their relationships.

Some say it's a curse, others say it could be that the men got intimidated because of their women's achievements. Whatever the reason may be, we cannot deny that these women do deserve that little gold man.

Halle Berry won the Best Actress award for her role in 2001's Monster Ball. Two years after her Award-winning performance she separated from husband, Eric Benet in 2003.

Halle Berry taking the stage during the 74th Academy Awards

The 2000 film, Erin Brockovich, about a crusading mom against a corporate giant, was the winning ticket for Julia Roberts. She won the Best Actress award at the 73rd Academy Awards. At that time, she was dating actor Jeremy Bratt. But within the year of the Oscars telecast in 2001, the couple separated.

Julia Roberts and her Oscar statue

When she won her first Best Actress award for the 1999 movie Boys Don't Cry, Hilary Swank forgot to acknowledge her husband, Chad Lowe. She did make up for it in her Thank You speech for her second Best Actress Oscar for Million Dollar Baby. In 2007, the couple who were married since 1997 decided to get a divorce.

Hilary Swank and her 2 Oscars

For those folks who had their formative years during the 1990s, Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe were the ideal romantic couple. They starred in a movie, dated, got pregnant and had a daughter; married and had another child (this time, it's a boy). Reese won her first Oscar for playing June Cash in the 2005 movie, Walk the Line. But, within a year of Reese winning her Oscar, she and Ryan separated. In 2007, they finalized their divorce.

Reese Witherspoon and her prize in the 78th Academy Awards

Sandra Bullock married rough and tumble Jesse James in 2005. She won the 2009 Best Actress award for her portrayal in Blindside. But, within months of the Oscar telecast in 2010, she separated and divorced Jesse James because of his infidelity. 

Sandra Bullock and her new man

By the time Kate Winslet took home the Oscar for The Reader, she had 6 Academy Award nominations under her belt. She was married to her second husband, Award-winning director Sam Mendes. She separated from him in 2010 and they called it quits in 2011.

Kate Winslet and her Oscar for The Reader

When Jennifer Lawrence won her Oscar for the 2012 movie Silver Linings Playbook, she was dating her X-Men: First Class co-star Nicholas Hoult. They were still together when she received her second Best Supporting Actress nomination for the 2013 movie, American Hustle. By August 2014, they had already separated.

Jennifer Lawrence

Gwyneth Paltrow in her pink Ralph Lauren dress received her Best Actress Oscar for Shakespeare in Love during the 71st Academy Awards telecast in 1999. She had an on-again/off-again relationship with her co-star, Ben Affleck. By 2000, they finally decided to end their relationship.

Gwyneth Paltrow

Charlize Theron met Irish actor Stuart Townsend on the set of their movie, Trapped. Charlize won her Best Actress at the 76th Academy Awards for her portrayal of Aileen Wuornos in the movie, Monster. She received a second Best Actress nomination for the movie, North Country which came out in 2005. By 2010, she split from Townsend. 

The ethereal Charlize Theron. photo copyright Getty Images Entertainment.