Rob Lowe’s son is grateful that the Hollywood star helped him overcome a battle with addiction.
John Owen revealed that his close-knit relationship with the 57-year-old was invaluable during his late teens and early college years.
“On the most personal level possible, when I was struggling with addiction, he was always there for me,” the 26-year-old told People magazine on Tuesday. “I credit that with being one, if not the main, reason I’m sober and living and healthy lifestyle.”
Lowe himself struggled with addiction in his early years especially as he skyrocketed to fame. The patriarch will celebrate 32 years of sobriety in May.
ROB LOWE RECALLS THE MOMENT HE HIT ROCK BOTTOM DURING ALCOHOLISM BATTLE: ‘THIS IS NO WAY TO LIVE’
Rob Lowe and his son John Owen. (Photo by Mike Coppola/FilmMagic)
Today, Owen lives in Los Angeles with his older brother Matthew, 28, a lawyer.
“When you consider what [my dad] went through in his 20s, his meteoric rise and some turbulence, and being in the public eye for decades… To come out a family man, a really, really good father, a really, really strong husband, and just a fun, kind guy to be around, that’s the day-to-day example he sets,” said Owen.
Owen shared that there was never a moment when Lowe didn’t offer love and steady support, which was “majorly instrumental.”
“He never gave up on me,” Owen explained. “I have a little over three and a half years [of sobriety] now, but when I took my first-year chip, he and I spoke at a [12-step] meeting in front of 200 people. And it was one of the most profound experiences of my life.”
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Rob Lowe and Michael J. Fox in Los Angeles, California, circa 1986. (Photo by Walter McBride/Corbis via Getty Images)
Lowe made his film debut in 1983’s “The Outsiders.” The coming-of-age drama, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, also starred Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise and Matt Dillon. His further skyrocketed to fame with 1985’s “St. Elmo’s Fire,” the Brat Pack flick that starred Demi Moore, Andrew McCarthy, Ally Sheedy and Judd Nelson.
Lowe previously told the outlet that he hit rock bottom in 1990 when he was 26. After a night of partying, Lowe returned home and discovered his mother was leaving a message on his answering machine. She pleaded for Lowe to pick up. His grandfather had a heart attack.
Lowe didn’t pick up the phone.
“I remember going into the bathroom, looking at myself in the mirror and my thought process was, ‘You need to drink directly from this bottle of Cuervo Gold, so you can go to sleep, so you can wake up, so you can deal with this,'” said Lowe. “Out of all the things that had gone on in my life, that was the thing where finally I went, ‘This is no way to live.’ I went to rehab 48 hours later.”
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Rob Lowe will celebrate 32 years of sobriety in May. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for TOM FORD: AUTUMN/WINTER 2020 RUNWAY SHOW)
The star, who struggled with alcoholism, has been sober since then. Today, he’s still pursuing his love of acting with “9-1-1: Lone Star. Lowe revived a one-man stage show after it was put on hold during the coronavirus pandemic. He’s also juggling two podcasts.
But Lowe insisted that his most rewarding role is that of a family man.
“I’ve never been happier, personally or professionally [and] there’s not a day that goes by where I’m not thankful about it all,” Lowe gushed. “I have gratitude and profound humility for the gifts that I’ve been given, and worked for, in this world.”
