Actor Rob Lowe recently discussed the scandal that almost derailed his career in the late 1980s.

During an appearance on SiriusXM’s “The Jess Cagle Show,” the 55-year-old actor talked about a filmed sexual encounter he had during the 1988 Democratic National Convention that was made public.

In 1989, Lowe was sued by the mother of a 16-year-old girl who was involved in the tape, which he denied knowing her age at the time, according to CBS News and Yahoo.

Despite the scandal being career-threatening, Lowe now speaks about it with a lighthearted tone.

“The problem was, I didn’t make any money off of it like everybody does now. I was too stupid,” he joked.

Lowe admits that the scandal had a profound effect on his life and he owes part of his present-day success to the ordeal.

“It’s one of the reasons why I got sober,” he said. “I, like, woke up one day and was like, ‘What am I doing with my life?'”

He added, “People talk about it, I go, ‘I think it’s the best thing that ever happened to me.’ Honestly, I do, ’cause it got me sober. Sober got me married. I’ve been married 29 years, and I have two great sons. I don’t think any of that happens without going through that scandal. I really don’t.”

Lowe celebrated 29 years of sobriety in May of this year and shared a photo of his younger self on Instagram, thanking everyone who had inspired him on his journey.

He also offered a message of hope for anyone struggling with addiction: “If you, or someone you know, are struggling with alcohol or addiction, there CAN be a future of hope, health and happiness. And it comes one day at a time. #recovery #ItWorks.”

Reflecting on his early success, Lowe acknowledged that the combination of fame, money, and drugs was not a great recipe for success, especially for an 18-year-old male.

“It’s not a great recipe for success to give an 18-year-old male fame, money, drugs and expect there not to be something that goes wrong,” he said.

Lowe’s journey to sobriety was not easy. In an interview with Variety, he described the early days of his recovery as “brutal.”

He said he had to go through a period of intense self-reflection to confront the demons that had led him down the path of addiction.

However, he also credited his family and his faith for helping him stay sober.

Despite the challenges he faced, Lowe’s career did not suffer in the long run. He went on to star in a number of successful films and TV shows, including “The West Wing,” “Parks and Recreation,” and “Code Black.”

He also became a sought-after producer and director, working on shows like “The Grinder” and “Wild Bill.”