Rob Lowe thought the Oscars’ infamous 2022 slap might finally give him a break from being the punchline of awards-show history.
Turns out, not even Will Smith could rescue him.
Back in 1989, Lowe teamed up with Snow White for the Academy Awards’ opening musical number.
The performance became a notorious misfire, and the actor says he’s spent years hearing about it whenever the conversation turns to awkward Oscars moments.
Read More: Will Smith continues to get hate over controversial Chris Rock Oscars slap
Then came the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, 2022.
After Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith walked onstage and slapped the comedian, leaving the audience and viewers at home stunned.
Lowe, however, had a very different reaction. Looking back on the moment, he admitted: “When Will Smith slapped Chris Rock, I was the only person who was happy.”
Why? Because he immediately saw an opportunity to finally move down the list of Oscars disasters.
As he recalled thinking: “Oh, good. Now that’s the worst moment in the history of the Oscars.”
The Oscars slap didn’t save Lowe from the jokes
Smith’s outburst became a defining moment in the ceremony’s history, but Lowe’s own infamous performance still hasn’t been forgotten.
The actor says the jokes keep coming, with the latest reminder arriving at the 2026 Emmys.
Someone reportedly made a crack that amounted to celebrating that, at least this time, the awkward moment wasn’t Rob.
So, after all these years, Lowe’s still sharing the spotlight with the Oscars’ most uncomfortable moments — just not the kind he was hoping for.