Commemorating a major milestone. Rob Lowe celebrated reaching 33 years of sobriety by sharing an inspirational message with fans.
“33 years ago today I found recovery and a tribe that has sustained me on my incredible, grateful journey,” the 59-year-old Parks and Recreation alum captioned a shirtless photo while taking a sunset swim in the ocean via Instagram on Wednesday, May 10. “My life is full of love, family, God, opportunity, friends, work, dogs and fun.”
He went on to share words of encouragement for those who are or know someone “struggling with any form of addiction,” writing, “Hope and joy are waiting if you want it, and are willing to work for it!”
The Outsiders star’s celebrity friends praised him in the post’s comments section. “We are so proud of you. We love you so much,” wrote Gwyneth Paltrow, while Kristin Chenoweth commented with two red heart emojis.
Lowe’s youngest son, John Owen Lowe, 28, also congratulated his dad’s accomplishment — while poking fun at his father’s photo choice. “Proud of your recovery, opposite feeling about this selfie,” he teased.
The West Wing alum stopped drinking in 1990, one year before he and wife Sheryl Berkoff — with whom he also shares son Matthew, 30 — tied the knot. He previously credited his spouse for saving his life, telling Entertainment Tonight in May 2021 that he decided to end his “’80s run of wild boy craziness” because of her.
“She was worth changing my life for,” Rob added. “And so I am really lucky that that happened to me. Maybe I had changed it on my own, maybe, but it’s a big maybe. And just when I met her, I knew that if I could not make it with her, I definitely could not make it work with anyone else.”
Rob’s sobriety anniversary comes one month after he presented John — with whom he stars on the Netflix comedy Unstable — with a five-year sobriety chip on an episode of The Drew Barrymore Show. “I love you. Proud of you,” he told his son before hugging him.
The emotional moment left John “speechless,” as he quipped, “I usually have a witty retort. I don’t have one for that. That was very nice of you.”
The 9-1-1: Lone Star writer — who also appeared on the TV series The Grinder and the film Holiday in the Wild with Rob — previously opened about his own addiction struggles in April 2020. He marked his second year of sobriety by posting a side-by-side photo of himself drinking a bottle of wine and his sobriety chart via Instagram.
“Two years in and I am more grateful than ever to have a community of support and friends who continue to build me up and hold me accountable,” John wrote at the time. “Making the decision to change your life is difficult at any age, but as a young person I hope that I can be a small example that it is possible and that things really do get SO MUCH BETTER.”
Encouraging those going through similar experiences to “reach out to someone,” he concluded his post by writing, “Life doesn’t have to be short and we don’t have to blow it!”
