Actor Rob Lowe notably snubbed his high-profile neighbors, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, at the ESPY Awards while heaping praise on NFL star Travis Kelce.
Despite living in close proximity to the Sussexes in the affluent Montecito community, Lowe chose to keep his distance from the royal couple at the star-studded event. Instead, he seized the opportunity to commend Kelce for his exceptional achievements on and off the field, highlighting the athlete's charisma and positive impact on the sporting world.
Rob Lowe and his son John Owen stepped out for the 2024 ESPY Awards on Wednesday in Los Angeles. During the event, Extra's Melvin Roberts spoke with the father-son duo about their excitement to see all of the athletes, whom they regard as celebrities in their own right. Rob, who hosts his own game show "The Floor," couldn't contain his enthusiasm for Kelce, raving that the NFL star is the perfect choice to host the upcoming "Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?" Lowe remarked, "I love that show. I loved the original version. I think he's the perfect host for it. That show is going to be amazing."
This unexpected snub has added another layer to the ongoing intrigue surrounding Harry and Meghan's relationships within the celebrity community. Reports have surfaced that the Sussexes are finding themselves with fewer friends, as several high-profile acquaintances reportedly don't want to be associated with them anymore. Harry and Meghan were very popular when they moved to the United States from the United Kingdom in 2020. However, things have changed, and the A-list Hollywood elite and other famous friends are allegedly keeping them at arm's length, including Oprah Winfrey, George and Amal Clooney, David and Victoria Beckham, and more, leaving them with a smaller social circle.
Harry and Meghan's circle is getting smaller and smaller. Some A-list stars are distancing themselves, and some have already done so. Oprah no longer seems involved with them, and other celebrities have also distanced themselves. Former royal butler Paul Burrell told Closer that back in the day, A-listers were eager to be associated with Harry and Meghan, who were the most popular couple in the country at one time when they got married. But there has since been a decline. Burrell suggested that Prince Harry and Meghan's celebrity pals were distancing themselves because the two were no longer active members of the royal family. Additionally, the Sussexes' public criticism of the royal family in interviews, their docu-series "Harry and Meghan," and Harry's memoir "Spare" have cast them in a controversial light.
Burrell continued, "Americans love the royal family but are starting to understand that they're not part of the royal family anymore. They're a sideshow, not the main event." Adding to the couple's social woes, George and Amal Clooney didn't invite them to the Albie Awards in October, and neighbors Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom reportedly snubbed Archie's fifth birthday party. In this context, Rob Lowe's public snub at the ESPYs and his enthusiastic praise for Travis Kelce highlight the shifting dynamics of Hollywood's elite social circles, further emphasizing the growing distance between the Sussexes and their once-supportive celebrity friends.
