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Rob Lowe Reveals Why Will Smith Slapping Chris Rock Made Him ‘Happy'
Lowe said Smith’s slap briefly shifted attention from his own 1989 Oscars performance, which he still calls humiliating.
- On Wednesday, September 23, 2026, actor Rob Lowe discussed the 2022 Will Smith and Chris Rock Oscars slap on SiriusXM's Andy Cohen Live, admitting he felt relieved the controversy might overshadow his own infamous 1989 performance.
- Lowe's decades-long embarrassment stems from the 1989 Academy Awards, where he performed a musical number with Snow White. Critics have labeled the confusing "Proud Mary" rendition the "worst opening ever" in ceremony history.
- Despite his hopes, Lowe remains teased annually about the 1989 mishap. He noted that decades later, critics and viewers still drag him for the performance, saying "there should be a statute of limitations."
- Comparisons to the 1989 performance resurfaced during the 2026 Emmy Awards. Lowe shared that viewers dissatisfied with recent ceremonies remarked, "At least it wasn't Rob," cementing his performance as a benchmark for poor production.
- In a September interview with Variety, Chris Rock reflected on the 2022 slap, noting the "only way" he would return as host is if he were nominated, expressing frustration the incident overshadows his other work.
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Rob Lowe says he was ‘the only person happy’ after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at Oscars; hoped incident would overshadow his own infamous 1989 Academy Awards performance
Rob Lowe has revealed he was “the only person happy” when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars, hoping the shocking incident would overshadow his infamous 1989 Academy Awards performance. Lowe joked that his decades-old Oscars blunder continues to haunt him, despite Smith’s slap becoming one of Hollywood’s biggest controversies.
·India
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Rob Lowe awkwardly admits he was 'the only person happy' when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at Oscars
Rob Lowe admitted he was "the only person happy" when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards because he thought it would distract from his own Oscars blunder.
·New York, United States
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Total News Sources13
Leaning Left5Leaning Right3Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution39% Left, 38% Center
Bias Distribution
- 39% of the sources lean Left, 38% of the sources are Center
39% Left
L 39%
C 38%
R 23%
Factuality
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