Rob Lowe Was 'Happy' When Will Smith Slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars — as Actor Hope Moment Would Erase His Own Embarrassing Awards Appearance
Rob Lowe recently recalled his unfiltered reaction to Will Smith's infamous Oscars slap.
Sept. 29 2026, Published 11:40 a.m. ET
Rob Lowe recently shared his unfiltered take on Will Smith's infamous Chris Rock Oscars slap, RadarOnline.com can report.
During an appearance on SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live, the actor admitted that he was actually happy about the ordeal. According to him, he figured it might help people forget about his own Oscars controversy.
Rob Lowe Discusses Will Smith Oscars Slap
Rob Lowe suffered his own embarrassing Oscars gaffe.
At the 61st Academy Awards in 1989, he graced the stage alongside Eileen Bowman for what he calls “the worst opening ever."
The two of them performed altered versions of various popular songs, and the performance is widely considered one of the most embarrassing moments in TV history.
Sadly, the slap didn't end up being the distraction Lowe hoped it'd be.
“When Will Smith slapped Chris Rock, I was the only person happy," Lowe revealed. "Because I was like, ‘Oh, good. So now that’s the worst moment in Oscar history.'"
“But it turns out not really," he continued. "Turns out I still am dragged, dragged every year.”
Rob Lowe Reflects on 1989 Oscars Performance
Rob Lowe called his 1989 Oscars performance with Eileen Bowman 'the worst opening ever.'
“This year even, I guess some people didn’t love some of the Emmys and they were like, ‘At least it wasn’t Rob,'" Lowe added. "It’s like, guys, there should be a statute of limitations."
As for Smith, he's apologized to Rock and his family multiple times since the viral slap.
Will Smith Addresses Oscars Slap
Will Smith admitted that slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars was a huge mistake.
In 2022, for example, he reflected on the incident in a video shared on Instagram. At the time, he shared that Rock didn't seem ready to put the ordeal behind them.
"I’ve reached out to Chris, and the message that came back is that he’s not ready to talk," he said. "And when he is, he will reach out.”
Will Smith Apologizes to Chris Rock's Family
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Will Smith has publicly apologized to Chris Rock multiple times since slapping him onstage at the 2022 Oscars.
Smith went on to apologize to Rock's mother and his brother, Tony, as well.
"That was one of the things about that moment I just didn’t realize,” he explained. “I wasn’t thinking about how many people got hurt in that moment."
"So, I want to apologize to Chris’ mother. I want to apologize to Chris’ family — specifically, Tony Rock," Smith noted. "We had a great relationship."
Smith also shut down the theory that the slap was a response to his wife Jada Pinkett's reaction to Rock's "G.I. Jane" joke.
“I made a choice on my own, from my own experiences, from my history with Chris," he confirmed. "Jada had nothing to do (with it.)”
