Emmy-winning actor Chad Lowe and his wife Kim Painter are mourning the death of their 13-year-old daughter Fiona, whom they described as the "light of their lives." In a joint statement, the couple said they were "deeply heartbroken" by the loss.
A Devastating Loss for the Family
Chad, 58, who is the younger brother of Rob Lowe, often shares photos and videos of his three daughters and wife on Instagram, where his profile proudly describes him as "Dad." His last post of Fiona was dated November 15, 2025, celebrating her 13th birthday.
Sharing a photo of Fiona standing on a wooden platform in cowboy boots, he wrote with love heart emojis: "Celebrating Fiona officially becoming a teen today!! Keep dancing through life FiBear! Love you soooo much!!"
Family's Recent Struggles
Her birthday came shortly after the family lost their home in the Pacific Palisades Fire in 2025. In February, Chad revealed that the family had returned to see what was left of their property.
"Almost a month after we evacuated our girls finally got to go back to see what’s left of their home," he wrote in an Instagram post at the time. "The way they’ve handled this whole devastating experience is nothing short of remarkable. I am in awe of their spirit and resilience. Helping them navigate these tough times is my sole purpose. Being their dad is my life’s greatest joy and privilege."
A Proud Girl Dad
Fiona had two sisters, Mable, 17, and Nixie, 10, who Chad also frequently posts about. In March, he celebrated his youngest daughter's birthday, and the next month shared a video of the pair at a daddy-daughter dance with Nixie balanced on his shoulders. "This is what it’s all about! #Blessed #girldad," he wrote.
In May, he posted a photo of his eldest daughter carrying a huge bunch of flowers, writing: "Please join me in wishing this beautiful soul a most happy 17th birthday!! I love you soooo much @mabellowe_ !! I’m so proud to be your Dadda."
That same month, he wished his wife a happy Mother's Day, posting photos of her with each of their daughters as newborns and an updated one altogether. He wrote: "Happy Mother’s Day to the best Mom ever! Our girls are so lucky to have you as their momma bear!! And, I’m so lucky to have you as a partner on this crazy journey called parenthood! Your are so loved."
Chad Lowe's Personal History
Kim is Chad's second wife, after he married Hilary Swank in 1997, whom he met while filming Quiet Days in Hollywood. Hilary famously forgot to thank Chad during her acceptance speech after winning her first Academy Award for Boys Don't Cry in 2000, but later thanked him in her second Oscar speech in 2005 for Million Dollar Baby. The couple split in 2006.
At the time, Hilary spoke of how Chad's "substance abuse" problem had been the main reason for their marriage breakdown. "I knew something was happening but I didn’t know what," she told Vanity Fair magazine at the time.
Chad later acknowledged in an interview that it had been a "very tough year" but that he had been "grateful" for her support throughout his addiction. "I was disappointed that details of our relationship became kind of public fodder," he said at the time of her interview. "I've been sober for three and a half years, and I'm very grateful for that."
Chad met Kim in 2007, with their first daughter born three years later. They wed a year later in an intimate oceanside ceremony at Terranea Resort in Los Angeles. His brother Rob was the best man, while eldest daughter Mabel was the ring bearer.
Close Bond with Brother Rob
The actor has two half brothers from the second marriages of his parents, but is very close with his older brother Rob. The pair appeared on screen together for the first time in 2022, as Chad guest starred in an episode of 9-1-1: Lone Star after directing two episodes.
"It was great," Chad told Fox News at the time. "And then I realized this is the first time Rob and I will get to be in anything together. First time we’ve ever acted together. For all of these years, many people have asked why we haven’t done it sooner, or when we are going to do it. Rob and I have both wondered ourselves why we’ve never been in anything together."
Chad's daughter Mabel's birth was a major deal for the Lowe family, as she was the first girl born in almost four generations.
During an interview last year, Chad spoke of his pride of being a "girl dad." "I feel like having daughters is such an incredible privilege," he told Still Here Hollywood podcast in December. "I've always loved women. My mum was one of my heroes. I now have three daughters and so I look at the world from their perspective and I see the world and a lot of the injustices in the world from their perspective. But I also see all of the opportunities that are there now too. It's not all doom and gloom. Society is changing, thank god."
