Rob Lowe was pleased Will Smith and Chris Rock could take some of the Oscars heat.
The "Oxford Blues" star, 62, reflected on his own cringe-worthy moment on the Oscars stage back in 1989, in which he performed a musical number featuring Snow White for the opening ceremony, calling it "the worst opening ever" in a Sept. 24 appearance on podcast show "Andy Cohen Live."
"When Will Smith slapped Chris Rock, I was the only person happy," Lowe said. "Because I was like, ‘Oh, good. So now that’s the worst moment in Oscar history.'"
Lowe added: "But it turns out not really. Turns out I still am dragged, dragged every year."
Smith infamously walked up to Rock, who was hosting the show, and slapped him across the face during the live broadcast of the 2022
Oscars after the comedian cracked a joke in his introduction about a possible "G.I. Jane" sequel, which included a reference to Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and her bald head.
Pinkett Smith has previously opened up about her struggle with alopecia, an autoimmune skin disease that can cause hair loss on the scalp, face or other areas of the body, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
While that slap was widely derided, Lowe said he still can't seem to get away from his own memorable moment, adding that it was brought up again when 2026 Emmy Awards aired.
"...I guess some people didn’t love some of the Emmys and they were like, 'At least it wasn’t Rob,'" Lowe told co-hosts Andy Cohen and John Hill. "It’s like, guys, there should be a statute of limitations."
Despite all of the negative feedback and criticism surrounding the moment, Lowe shared that he did get a glowing review from a couple of people, including comedy legend Lucille Ball and John Fogerty.
Chris Rock reveals 'only way' he'd return to the Oscars
Rock opened up about what it would take to return to theAcademy Awards as a host, following the controversial incident, in a Sept. 8 interview with Variety.
The Emmy-winning actor and comedian has served as the ceremony's emcee a total of three times, once in 2005, then in 2016, and again six years later, in 2022.
"When people answer those questions, they're being disrespectful to the people that got the gig," Rock, who was promoting his new film, "Misty Green," told the outlet. "They have great hosts. Conan O'Brien is amazing. Nikki Glaser is amazing on the Golden Globes."
Rock added: "I'm not going to say never, but my time might have passed, honestly."
Contributing: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rob Lowe explains why he was 'happy' Will Smith slapped Chris Rock
