Actor Rob Lowe and his wife of 18 years, Sheryl, have one of those interviews in Hello! Magazine in which they show the inside of their lovely home accompanied by quotes about their wonderful life. The Lowes have had their share of difficulties lately, especially all their legal problem after a couple of seemingly frivolous sexual harassment lawsuits filed by former nannies. (I don’t think Lowe or his wife are in any way culpable and both lawsuits were dismissed. Read this article if you’d like to learn more about that story.)

The Lowes don’t talk to Hello! about the Nannygate scandal at all, and Rob only tangentially mentions his troubled past. They make it sound as if everything is pretty great in their lives, and that’s probably true. Some of their quotes are eyeroll-inducing. Overall they seem pretty normal though, and very supportive of each other. They talk about what makes their marriage successful and Lowe also answers some personal question about his 19 years of sobriety.

Lowe of course was involved in a huge scandal in 1988 when a sex tape emerged showing him having a threesome with two women, one of whom was just 16. Lowe met the underage girl and her friend at a bar and was unaware that they were under 21. While reviewing the details on Wikipedia about this 20 year-old scandal I learned that there was another part of the tape showing Lowe and a male friend having sex with a model. After the tape came out Lowe went to rehab for alcoholism and sex addiction, and it sounds like he never looked back. He told Hello! that he’ll serve wine to guests but won’t have a glass himself. He doesn’t mention the sex tape scandal and the interviewer doesn’t bring it up.

You’ve led a sober life for 19 years. Is Sheryl on that same path?
“Sheryl is what they call a ‘normie.’ She doesn’t have the problem. And when I have guests, I want to serve them a great bottle of wine. I enjoy people who are enjoying themselves.”

Did your experience affect what you told your sons about temptations they may face?
“They know that I’m sober, obviously. But they’re also raised in a household where if a guest is having a glass of wine, it isn’t the boogie man. It’s totally about a well-balanced view.”

But you don’t ever have a glass of wine yourself?
“Never ever. For me, what works is early on I bought into the very standard thing about sobriety. You either are an addict/alcoholic or you are not. Some people say ‘You were 26 years old, maybe it’s different now.’ They may be right. But for me, it’s not worth finding out. At that moment, it [sobriety] made all the difference in my life. I don’t know that my life would be where it is today without it. And I love my life today. So I look back thinking it’s one of the greatest things I’ve ever done.”

I’m of the opinion that whatever it takes to keep you happy and in control of your life, you do. If you’re a person who cuts loose occasionally but can otherwise have a glass of wine or two, then go ahead. Many alcoholics completely abstain because they don’t want to go down that path again. I have an aunt who’s a lot like Lowe in that she stopped drinking in her mid 20s and hasn’t had a glass since. There’s something so impressive about that.

Lowe seems like he’s learned a lot since his wild youth and that he loves to be a husband and father. Rob and Sheryl have two teenage boys, Matthew, 16, and Johnson, 13. Rob says he’s “very proud of them” and that “they inspire me.” Lowe is promoting his roles in the film The Invention of Lying with Ricky Gervais and the television series “Sisters and Brothers.”

Rob and Sheryl Lowe are shown on 9/21 at the Invention of Lying premiere. Credit: Juan Rico/Fame Pictures