Rob Lowe reveals why he was happy about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock
Rob Lowe had to wait decades to find something that could compete with his worst Oscars memory.
In 1989, Lowe joined Snow White for the Oscars’ opening musical number . What was supposed to be a big moment for the ceremony ended up becoming one of the most awkward performances ever seen on the awards show stage.
And while the number lasted only a few minutes, its consequences lasted much longer. For years, the moment kept coming up whenever people talked about the worst Oscars openings.
So when 2022 arrived, Lowe thought that story might finally be left behind.
On March 27, 2022, during the 94th Academy Awards , one of the most unexpected moments in recent Oscars history unfolded: Will Smith slapped Chris Rock onstage after the comedian made a comment about Jada Pinkett Smith .
Understandably, viewers watching the broadcast were trying to process what had just happened. What had been an awards ceremony until that point had completely changed in a matter of seconds, and no one seemed quite sure how to react.
But Lowe experienced the moment very differently. He recently recalled what happened and admitted: “When Will Smith slapped Chris Rock, I was the only person who was happy.”
The reason came down to what immediately went through his mind: “Oh, good. Now that’s the worst moment in the history of the Oscars.”
But Will Smith couldn’t save him from the jokes
The slap became one of the biggest moments in Oscars history, but it didn’t manage to knock Lowe out of that conversation.
The actor said he is still the subject of jokes because of that performance. The latest example even came at the 2026 Emmys, when someone referenced his old controversy again with a comment that , essentially, celebrated the fact that at least this time, it wasn’t Rob.
