Rob Lowe Admits He Was 'Happy' Will Smith Slapped Chris Rock at Oscars
The actor said the incident momentarily distracted from his own infamous 1989 Academy Awards blunder.
Rob Lowe confessed that he felt a brief moment of relief when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards, believing it might finally overshadow his own notorious Oscars performance. Lowe shared his thoughts on SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live, stating, “When Will Smith slapped Chris Rock, I was the only person happy. Because I was like, ‘Oh, good. So now that’s the worst moment in Oscar history.’”
However, he acknowledged that his own 1989 Oscars opening segment continues to be remembered. “But it turns out not really. Turns out I still am dragged, dragged every year,” Lowe said. He added that even in the current year, some viewers have referenced his past mishap in discussions about other award show controversies.
Lowe, 62, was referring to his performance at the 61st Academy Awards in 1989, which he described as "the worst opening ever.” The segment featured Lowe and actress Eileen Bowman, dressed as Snow White, performing a prolonged and critically panned musical number with altered song lyrics, including a rendition of "Proud Mary."
The performance was met with widespread criticism and is considered one of the most embarrassing moments in television history. It led to a letter of denunciation signed by numerous Hollywood figures, including former Academy President Gregory Peck, and resulted in a lawsuit from Disney over the use of its character. The production also significantly impacted the career of its producer, Allan Carr.
The incident with Smith and Rock occurred during the 94th Academy Awards when Rock, who was hosting, made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. Pinkett Smith has publicly shared her struggles with alopecia, an autoimmune condition that causes hair loss. In response to the joke, Smith walked onto the stage and slapped Rock. He then returned to his seat and shouted, "Keep my wife’s name out of your f–king mouth.”
Following the event, Smith was banned from attending the Academy Awards and all Academy events for ten years. He later issued a public apology to Rock via social media, admitting, "I was out of line and I was wrong."