Will Natalie Portman Be Struck By The Oscar Curse?

Would you still want to win the Oscar for Best Actress if you knew it would doom your love life? Should frontrunner Natalie Portman be scared? A new study found that the "Oscar curse" is real -- Oscar winners in the Best Actress category are at a higher risk of divorce than nominees who do not win.

The study examined the marital track records of 751 Best Actress and Best Actor nominees between 1936 and 2010 found that the marriages of best actress winners last a median length of just 4.3 years, while a best actress loser will stay wed for 9.5 years on average.

Researcher Colleen Stuart acknowledged that the results aren't scientifically sound. She said, "We can't rule out that this difference is due to chance."

Recent best actress winners like Sandra Bullock and Kate Winslet have seen their marriages crumble after winning the prestigious award. Reese Witherspoon accepted the Best Actress award in 2006 for playing Johnny Cash's wife, June Carter, in "Walk the Line." By the end of that year, she was done with her husband, actor Ryan Philippe.

The Award for Best Actress (and the curse) will be bestowed on February 27 on ABC.