Chad Lowe gushed about being a girl dad two years before the tragic death of his 13-year-old daughter, Fiona.
“I’m a girl dad. It’s so interesting because [I’m] always wanting to have my own experiences and not live in the shadow or follow in the footsteps of somebody,” Lowe, 58, said during a 2024 appearance on the “Still Here” podcast.
“I get the experience of being a girl dad,” the Pretty Little Liars alum continued. “I feel like having daughters is such an incredible privilege.”
Lowe, who shares Fiona and daughters Mabel, 17, and Nixie, 10, with wife Kim Painter, added that although there are “struggles” associated with raising three girls, the experience has continued to teach him ways to see the world differently.
“I look at the world from really their perspective, and I see the world and a lot of the injustices in the world from their perspective,” he explained. “It’s not all doom and gloom. Society is changing. I see how we’re really becoming conscious of the role of women. We may, who knows, have the first female president.”
Chad, the younger brother of actor Rob Lowe, concluded, “[We’re] really empowering women and seeing how much women have to offer. I personally think that if women were in charge of nations, we’d be a lot more peaceful.”
Chad and Painter, 52, announced Fiona’s death in a statement to People, TMZ and other media outlets on Tuesday, September 29.
“We are deeply heartbroken by the loss of our beloved Fiona,” the statement read, calling their late middle child “a loving young girl who was smart, creative, and loved to dance.”
The family continued, “She was adored by her sisters and she was deeply loved by her parents. In fact, she was the light of our lives. Her passing is devastating for our entire family and we ask for prayers and privacy at this time. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.”
Nearly one year before Fiona’s death, Chad took to Instagram to celebrate her milestone 13th birthday.
“Celebrating Fiona officially becoming a teen today!! Keep dancing through life FiBear! Love you soooo much!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️,” he captioned his post at the time.
Chad and his family previously experienced tragedy in January 2025 when they lost their home in the Los Angeles wildfires.
“This is what remains of 10 years of building our lives. Our hearts are broken, but we are comforted by all the well wishes and offers of assistance,” the actor wrote via Instagram at the time alongside a photo of the rubble. “We are OK and will be OK. We have each other. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
