Swank: 'I'm Living In Truth Now'

Two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank reveals in the August issue of Vanity Fair that her break-up with actor Chad Lowe was due in part to a "substance abuse" problem he's been battling for three years, the New York Post reports.

Quotes from the exclusive interview appeared in the newspaper today.

"I knew something was happening but I didn't know what," Swank tells Vanity Fair. "When I found out, it was such a shock because I never thought he'd keep something from me. And yet, on another level it was a confirmation of something I was feeling that was keeping us from being completely solid."

Swank, 31, and Lowe, 38, who have no children, announced in January that they were separating after eight years of marriage. At the time, the couple appeared to retain some hope of reuniting.

"Hilary and Chad have decided to separate, but they are hopeful they'll be able to get through this tough time," Swank's manager, Troy Nankin, then said in a statement.

A few months later, it was announced that the actress would be filing for divorce. The couple met wed in 1997 after dating for a short time.

The Vanity Fair story does not mention what substance the actor was abusing, but Swank says that she had to stay with Lowe when his problem surfaced. "When I found out, I wanted to be there," she says. "I knew it was the most important time of his life. That's when he needed me most."

Swank tells the magazine that Lowe has been sober for three years and that his substance abuse issues weren't the only reason that their marriage disintegrated, the Post reports.

"I don't want to make it seem like that's the sole reason; there were other factors," she says. "But that just kind of blew it open. I made me look at things a lot deeper. That's when you realize it's not going to work."

Swank admits in the interview that she is proud of Lowe for maintaining sobriety. "It's an enormous obstacle to overcome, and he's doing it. He's living a sober life," she says. "I know how difficult it is, and I'm really proud of his sobriety."

The New York Post said that neither Lowe nor his managers could immediately be reached for comment yesterday.

Swank famously forgot to thank a tearful Lowe while accepting her best actress Oscar in 2000 for "Boys Don't Cry." Last year, Swank won again for "Million Dollar Baby" — this time thanking Lowe. She denies that her flourishing career contributed to the split.

"Chad is very supportive of my career," Swank tells Vanity Fair. "He is, I think, genuinely happy for my success … I think that any frustration for him stemmed from the lack of opportunities in his own career."

Lowe, 38, who is the younger brother of actor Rob Lowe, won an Emmy for his portrayal of AIDS patient Jesse McKenna on the TV series "Life Goes On" in 1993. He's directing the new film "Beautiful Ohio," starring William Hurt, which is shooting in New York.

Swank, who will be moving out of the New York City apartment she shared with her soon-to-be ex-husband, has two movies due later this year: "The Black Dahlia," Brian De Palma's adaptation of James Ellroy's novel, and a thriller called "The Reaping," in which she plays a Christian missionary.

In the interview, the actress seems cautious about entering the Hollywood dating arena again.

"I thought of it — that whole world — I can't imagine it! I can't imagine going out right now and trying to find someone else to be with," she says. "When I told you I'm the happiest I've ever been, it's not because I'm getting a divorce. It's because I'm living in truth now. My happiness has stemmed from being brutally honest with myself, facing truth every single day, no matter how hard it is."

Swank says in the interview that her marriage to Lowe was not a failure.

"It takes two to make something work or not work," she says. "I'm a person with my won faults and troubles. In the end, it just didn't work, but I would never look back on this relationship as failed. I look at it as 13 and a half years of success."