The Oscars returned last night for Hollywood’s biggest evening of the year — the Academy Awards.
Actors, directors, and other major names from around the world headed to the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the ceremony.
Several of the past year’s most talked-about releases — One Battle After Another, Hamnet, Sinners, and KPop Demon Hunters — all picked up trophies during the event on March 15.
Leading the pack was One Battle After Another, which ended the night with six wins, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Director.
Sinners followed with four awards, and Michael B. Jordan collected his first Academy Award after winning Best Actor.
With Jordan joined by the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Jessie Buckley, and Timothée Chalamet among the night’s headline names, it’s a reminder of how quickly the celebrity landscape can shift. Go back 12 years and the Oscars conversation looked very different.
In 2014, the ceremony was dominated by titles such as Dallas Buyers Club, Frozen, Blue Jasmine, American Hustle, and The Great Gatsby.
But beyond the winners, one moment from that year arguably outlived the awards themselves: the viral group selfie that spread everywhere.
The photo — believed to have been taken by Bradley Cooper — included Jared Leto, Jennifer Lawrence, Channing Tatum, Julia Roberts, Kevin Spacey, Brad Pitt, Lupita Nyong’o, and Angelina Jolie.
Meryl Streep, Ellen DeGeneres, Peter Nyong’o, and Cooper also managed to fit into the shot.
More than a decade later, several of the people in that image have faced serious controversy — with some viewers arguing they’ve been “canceled” for a range of reasons.
Some critics have pointed to Jared Leto in recent years following allegations of sexual impropriety.
In June last year, nine women alleged misconduct, with a report describing the actor’s ‘predatory, terrifying and unacceptable’ behavior, according to The Guardian at the time.
Several of those making allegations said they were teenagers when the alleged incidents took place.
One of the accusers, model Laura La Rue, said in the report that Leto flirted with her when she was 16 and he was 36. The two later communicated via email, and she eventually visited his home in April 2009.
Leto denied the claims. A representative for the Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman said: “All of the allegations are expressly denied.”
Addressing La Rue’s account, his representative also maintained their ‘communications contain nothing sexual or inappropriate’.
Ellen DeGeneres’ reputation also took a major hit during the height of “cancel culture,” following a Buzzfeed investigation into the workplace environment surrounding The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
The daytime series was a huge ratings success, airing for 19 seasons and earning widespread affection from viewers for much of its run.
However, the show ended in May 2022 after allegations involving racism, sexual misconduct, and intimidation connected to three executive producers.
In 2020, a former African American employee told Buzzfeed that she experienced multiple racist comments while working at The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
The former employee did not claim DeGeneres herself made the remarks, though another staffer argued: “If she wants to have her own show and have her name on the show title, she needs to be more involved to see what’s going on.”
DeGeneres has since shared her view on why she believes she was canceled, suggesting the backlash was tied to her public “be kind” messaging — a slogan closely associated with the program.
Kevin Spacey is another figure from that 2014 selfie whose career was significantly affected by allegations. In 2017, he was removed from his starring role on House of Cards after actor Anthony Rapp accused him of sexually assaulting him when he was a teenager — which Spacey strongly denied.
Spacey also faced four charges of sexual assault involving three men.
At the time, he said he expected to prove his innocence and described the allegations as ‘madness’.
In 2023, the Baby Driver actor was found not guilty and later acquitted of additional similar charges in both the US and UK, while other charges were dropped.
Rapp’s civil lawsuit was also dismissed after a jury unanimously concluded Spacey did not molest him.
Spacey is expected to appear in court again later this year to face civil sexual assault claims brought by three men.
Brad Pitt is another celebrity some claim has been “canceled,” though opinions remain sharply divided.
Angelina Jolie, his ex-wife, has alleged that Pitt was physically abusive toward her in front of their children on a private flight from France to California, saying she pursued divorce to protect their family.
She has also claimed that on September 14, 2016 — during the same flight — Pitt assaulted their children, who were between eight and 15 years old at the time.
Pitt has denied the allegations, issuing a statement through his lawyer, Anne Kiley, which read: “Brad has owned everything he’s responsible for from day one—unlike the other side—but he’s not going to own anything he didn’t do.
“He has been on the receiving end of every type of personal attack and misrepresentation.
“Thankfully, the various public authorities the other side has tried to use against him over the past six years have made their own independent decisions.
“Brad will continue to respond in court as he has consistently done.”
After related court documents circulated on Twitter, some users called for Pitt to be “canceled.”
One posted: “Time to cancel Brad Pitt.” However, a second added: “Nobody can cancel Brad Pitt, it’s not possible.”
Pitt and Jolie ultimately finalized their divorce in December 2024, concluding an eight-year legal process.