Rob Lowe Feared for His Son’s Life So He Did Everything He Could to Help Him With Sobriety | “I’ve Been Very Lucky”

"When I was at my lowest points, my parents were throwing their lifeline of recovery at me," John reflected.

Cover Image Source: Getty Images | JC Olivera

By Suchitra B

March 24, 2023

Posted March 24, 2023

John Owen Lowe, the youngest son of actor Rob Lowe, is stepping into fame as he stars, along with his father, in the comedy series Unstable which they have co-created and co-produced. The father-son duo confessed their struggles with alcoholism in their exclusive interview for the April cover story of Men's Health. "Many times I could have died. I really liked to push the limits of my body and numb out as much as I could," John Owen, who has now been sober for over 5 years, told the outlet.

"It makes me sad to think about. There's a certain level of self-doubt or uncomfortability (sic) with one's self. The more insecure I grew, the more aggressively I used — to medicate," he shared. The star also said that he's been to "many hospitals many times," adding that one of his closest childhood friends died of a fentanyl overdose. "I've been very lucky," he reflected.

Rob, who had struggled with drugs and alcohol himself before getting sober at age 26, was aware that recovery required a lot of effort, per PEOPLE. He and his wife Sheryl Berkoff, along with their other son Matthew, decided to do everything in their power to support John Owen, providing him with access to rehab, physicians, counselors, and more. "When I was at my lowest points, my parents were throwing their lifeline of recovery at me in a way that I was like, Ahhh, get away! It's abrasive!"

Rob, 59, acknowledged that after closely observing his son's addiction, he feared for his life. "I have a slightly different — not different, but additional view. Which is, he wasn't ready for us to turn the keys over to him," the 9-1-1: Lone Star actor explained. "His perspective is he woke up one morning and we did it. Why didn't we do it earlier? Well, there was a f***ing good reason we didn't. He wasn't ready."

But Owen explains that that's what really worked. "Once I was treated as if my voice and opinion were valid, I was able to access a part of me that was scared and hiding," he continued. "Finally the thing that worked was when they said, 'We love you and we're scared.'"

Image Source: Getty Images | Christopher Polk

Both Rob's sons have shared that their father's journey constantly inspires them, they shared in an interview with PEOPLE earlier. "When you consider what he went through in his 20s, his meteoric rise and some turbulence, and being in the public eye for decades... To come out a family man, a really, really good father, a really, really strong husband, and just a fun, kind guy to be around, that's the day-to-day example he sets," Owen shared.

"The whole family rallied around. Having someone who has such experience in the realm of sobriety to lead the charge was so invaluable," said Matthew about John's sobriety struggle, adding that he shares his own special bond with his dad. "He does the same thing in everyday life, me going off to college, or to law school, he's always the cheerleader," he added. "He's the first one to do absolutely anything to help you succeed."