Actor, director and producer Chad Lowe and producer Kim Painter have lost their 13-year-old daughter, Fiona Hepler Lowe. The family announced her death in a statement on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, and the office of the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said Oct. 1 that it had ruled her death a suicide.
Mabel Lowe, 17, the oldest daughter of Chad Lowe, posted an Instagram tribute to her younger sister, Fiona, with childhood photos of the two of them, in a post reported Oct. 4, 2026.
“I love you so much fiona ❤️ I wish your short time here was easier and I hope your mind is at ease now. I will honor you forever and keep your memory alive. I love you, I hope you knew just how much,” Mabel Lowe wrote.
Their mother, Kim Painter, commented beneath the tribute, “Oh Mabel. I love you so much.”
Actors Jeremy Renner and Jessica Capshaw responded in the comments of the post. Renner wrote, “Bless you dear Mabel. My deepest condolences to you and the family,” and Capshaw wrote, “What a beautiful tribute to your sister.”
Family Announced Death in September
“We are deeply heartbroken by the loss of our beloved Fiona. She was a loving young girl who was smart, creative and loved to dance,” the family said.
“She was adored by her sisters and she was deeply loved by her parents,” the statement continued. “In fact, she was the light of our lives. Her passing is devastating for our entire family and we ask for prayers and privacy at this time.”
The statement concluded: “If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.”
Parents at the school Fiona attended got an email from the principal on the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 29, saying one of the school’s students had died. That email did not identify the student and told families counseling would be made available to classmates and staff members who needed it.
Tributes From Grandfather and Father
Her grandfather Charles “Chuck” Lowe, the father of Chad Lowe and actor Rob Lowe, posted an Instagram tribute Sept. 30, a day after the family announced her death, with a photo of Fiona smiling in a swimming pool. “Rest in peace sweet Fiona,” he wrote.
Chad Lowe, 58, marked Fiona’s 13th birthday in an Instagram post in November 2025, with a picture of her grinning in cowboy boots. “Keep dancing through life FiBear!” he wrote.
The Lowe Family
Chad Lowe and Painter, 52, have been married since August 2010. Fiona was born Nov. 16, 2012. Her middle name, Hepler, was Chad Lowe’s late mother’s maiden name and is Rob Lowe’s middle name, according to People.
Mabel Painter Lowe, 17, and Nixie Barbara Lowe, 10, are the couple’s other daughters. The five of them turned out together for the premiere event for “Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur” at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, Calif., on Feb. 4, 2023. Lowe posted a family photo in May 2026 to wish Painter a happy Mother’s Day.
Chad Lowe, the younger brother of Rob Lowe, won an Emmy Award for his supporting role in “Life Goes On” as a young man living with HIV, and later acted in “Melrose Place” and “Pretty Little Liars.” He was previously married to actress Hilary Swank; the two were married between 1997 and 2007.
Losing a Home in the Palisades Fire
The Palisades fire tore through the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles and destroyed homes, among them the one belonging to this family of five. Lowe shared photographs in February 2025 of his three daughters visiting what was left of the house where they grew up, and one image showed the sisters standing with their arms around one another.
In that caption he praised how the girls had coped with the loss, said he was in awe of their spirit and resilience, described guiding them through the aftermath as his sole purpose, and added that being their father was the greatest joy and privilege of his life.
On the “Still Here Hollywood” podcast in August 2024, Lowe said fatherhood to three daughters had turned gender inequality and the glass ceiling into something he felt rather than merely understood in the abstract, and that their perspective had become the lens through which he viewed the world.
In the U.S., the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is reachable any hour by calling or texting 988, or chatting online. The Crisis Text Line offers free, confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week; text 741741.
