In late June 2024, Lucy Hale, the 35-year-old actress best known for her work in Pretty Little Liars, was spotted on a lunch date with actor and writer John Owen Lowe in Los Angeles. According to Entertainment Tonight, the pair ate at Tocaya Modern Mexican restaurant. They were photographed walking side-by-side as they left, although they didn’t show any PDA.
Still, the outing further fueled dating speculation among fans. Rumors of their possible romantic connection first began in April after fans spotted a gushing comment from Hale on Lowe’s Instagram.
Hale hasn’t spoken about Lowe, but she did discuss her approach to dating in a January 2024 interview with Nylon. “Where I’m at dating-wise, I want to be transparent about who I am, where I’ve been, what I’m looking for,” she said. “It weeds out the people who aren’t on the same path as you… No bullshit. I would expect people to be the same way with me. Like, let’s all throw it all out there. See what sticks and the right people will find you and stay.’”
Lowe himself told Netflix’s Queue about his view of dating when writing his show, Unstable. “Dating sucks, it’s so awkward until it’s not,” he said. “On TV, so often we see meet-cutes and falling in love. I like writing and telling the stories of how freaking awkward [it] is.”
Here’s all you need to know about Lowe and his history with Hale.
Lowe and Hale first sparked dating rumors in April 2024.
Rumors of their romance started on April 1 when Lowe shared a post on Instagram celebrating six years of sobriety: “Six years ago today I took my last sip of alcohol. If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, reach out. Ask for help. I did, and it changed my life <3.” Hale left a comment on his post: “This is amazing. You are amazing. Bright & shiny human ❤.”
Hale herself was over two years sober then. The actress, who has spoken about quitting drinking, celebrated her first year of sobriety in January 2023.
She reflected on that milestone in a Valentine’s Day Instagram a month later: “Bear with me, this is an alternative Valentine’s Day post. This is a post about self-love and about the greatest thing I’ve ever done. On January 2, 2023, I celebrated one year of sobriety. While this journey has mostly been private, I felt compelled tonight to let anyone who is struggling know that you are not alone and you are loved. ♥️♥️♥️”.
Lowe is 28 years old.
Lowe is a Scorpio born on Nov. 6, 1995. Hale, born on June 14, 1989 is a Gemini, making them a compelling astrological match.
As the AstroTwins write for ELLE, “Inquisitive air sign Gemini and watery, esoteric Scorpio live on completely different planes, which either turns you off or utterly fascinates you…. Whether it’s starting a family or running a business, you can be an indefatigable team, with Gemini playing the rowdy ringmaster and Scorpio running the show from behind the scenes.”
Hale and Lowe made headlines when they were photographed in June 2024.
On June 29, 2024, the pair was spotted on a lunch date at Tocaya Modern Mexican restaurant in Studio City, L.A. Hale dressed casually, wearing jeans, a T-shirt, and sandals. Lowe, meanwhile, sported white sneakers, khaki pants, a white sleeveless top, and a cap. Entertainment Tonight covered the outing.
Lowe is the son of Rob Lowe, alongside whom he has acted.
Lowe is the youngest son of famous actor Rob Lowe. He followed his father’s footsteps into acting and is best known for his role in the sitcom series Unstable. Lowe’s relationship with his dad inspired him to write and star in the Netflix show alongside his father.
In an April 2023 Today Show interview, Lowe explained how his dad’s fame influenced his acting career: “[I was] trying to get away from my dad and out of his shadow, but constantly working in close proximity to him.”
He also revealed, despite his father’s efforts to steer him and his brother away from the entertainment industry, he still became an actor despite trying other jobs.
In an interview with Netflix’s Queue on March 22, 2023, Lowe shared, “I just never thought of it [acting] as a career choice because I saw what my dad went through from a young age, how hard he worked, how challenging the industry was.’”
Growing up, he gravitated toward the piano and writing, and even majored in Science, Technology, and Society at Stanford University. Still, he felt drawn to the arts after finishing school: “That artistic side of me never really quieted down, and I found myself back in [it],” he told Queue.
Lowe touched on his feelings around the term “nepo baby” when discussing Unstable.
Lowe spoke to Netflix’s Queue about the nepo baby discourse and how writing Unstable allowed him to explore his own feelings around it. “I don’t want to say that I coined the phrase ‘nepo baby’ before it was a thing, but I was definitely worried that I was never going to escape his [Rob Lowe’s] shadow, even though I was super passionate about being artistic and wanted to work hard,” he said.
Lowe shared a heartfelt Father’s Day post in 2024 and showcased his close bond with his dad.
On June 16, 2024 for Father’s Day, Lowe surprised his father with balloons and sat down with him “to watch some of his early work, which I have never done before.” Hale liked the Instagram Lowe shared of the two’s day.
Lowe spoke more to Queue about his real-life relationship with Rob Lowe. He and his father play a father and son, Ellis and Jackson, onscreen, and “I was very impressed with my dad [on set],” he shared. “He’s super professional; he’s very talented. He had a lot of advice …It was a little disturbing at times how seamlessly he flowed in and out of his character into his real human being. There were many times when his character would be overstepping into Jackson’s life and telling Jackson what to do. We’d call cut, and without missing a beat, he’d be like, “And by the way, I feel like they’re lighting you too harshly today and you need to…’ Thank you, Dad/Ellis.”
Lowe is also a musician and a scientist.
Like his character Jackson in Unstable, Lowe plays an instrument…but not the same one. In a March 2023 interview with Netflix’s Tudum, Lowe explained, “I’m also a musician, I play the piano. Jackson plays the flute, which is something I would never do. No offense.”
Lowe also has a science background. The actor shared on the Today Show that he spent multiple summers working at UCSF Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research.