There are two supposed “Oscar curses,” and one of them has struck again.

The first theory goes that if you win an Oscar too early in your career, your career is cursed — proponents of this one point to post-Oscar doldrums for performers such as Luise Rainer (named the Best Actress of 1936 and 1937), Mira Sorvino (Best Supporting Actress of 1995) and Timothy Hutton (1980’s Best Supporting Actor).

The other Oscar curse concerns romantic entanglements. When an actress takes home an Academy Award, she’ll sometimes see her relationship go kaput. Sally Field was named Best Actress of 1979 then lost boyfriend Burt Reynolds. Soon after Marlee Matlin won Best Actress of 1986 her relationship with William Hurt ended. Julia Roberts and Benjamin Bratt ended their relationship soon after she was named 2000’s Best Actress. Halle Berry and Eric Benet ended their marriage soon after she was named the Best Actress of 2001. Hilary Swank split with husband Rob Lowe soon after she was named 2004’s Best Actress. And both actresses who won in the 1997 awards lost their husbands after taking home statues: Best Actress Helen Hunt split from Hank Azaria while Best Supporting Actress Kim Basinger split from Alec Baldwin.

Sadly, this curse has struck again. This year’s reigning Best Actress, Reese Witherspoon, is splitting from husband Ryan Phillippe.

Liz Smith wrote earlier this week that “rumors of trouble buzzed for several years” around the couple. She noted that they were married and became parents of two small children at a young age. But many times it’s tough on a relationship when the female half becomes more heralded, especially in Hollywood. As Smith said, “It is hard on any couple when the woman is perceived to be more successful.”

As Michael Musto writes in this week’s Village Voice, “A golden statue for one can become an ego-clobbering device for the other, almost always causing a wedge that irrevocably upsets the power balance. Whether because of the winner’s bounding sense of self or the loser’s growing sense of inadequacy, the coupling becomes untenable.”

Tom O’Neill doesn’t believe in this Oscar curse. He writes on Theenvelope.com: “I’m not sure I buy into this whole linkage idea, which implies that these guys, beset with jealousy, couldn’t handle their gals’ success.” For instance, O’Neill notes that Lowe had a secret drug problem that wasn’t exposed until after his split with Swank, while Benet admitted to cheating on Berry.

On Theenvelope.com forums StlLawStudent says, “Come on, did anyone not see his (Phillippe’s) face when she (Witherspoon) won? It was in full-on pout mode.”

Foxnews.com columnist Roger Friedman reported this week that he witnessed a fight between Witherspoon and Phillippe at the premiere of his new film, “Flags of Our Fathers.” Friedman notes that their careers could have had something to do with the break-up.

Sexism? Coincidence? Or a little of both?