Hillary Swank was visibly excited—quite literally—when she revealed last week that she is expecting her third child.
On Wednesday, the 52-year-old actress shared an Instagram video featuring her husband, entrepreneur Philip Schneider, and their three-year-old twins, Aya and Ohm. The family danced in a dark room with glow sticks attached to their clothing, while Swank displayed a colorful glow-stick baby figure on her stomach.
‘A lot of people have been asking what project I’m doing next, this one releases in December,’ she wrote in the caption.
An insider now tells Our News Outlet that Swank had planned to share the news several weeks earlier, but chose to wait after learning of the death of her former husband Chad Lowe’s daughter, Fiona.
Fiona, 13, died by suicide on September 29, leaving the 58-year-old actor grieving one of the three daughters he shares with his wife, Kim Painter, 52.
Swank and Lowe ended their marriage amicably in 2006 after eight years together. According to insiders, announcing a pregnancy so soon after Fiona’s death could have appeared deeply insensitive.
Swank is expecting her third child, three years after welcoming her twins
Swank and Chad Lowe separated amicably in 2006 after eight years of marriage; insiders said a pregnancy announcement so soon after his daughter’s death could have appeared painfully insensitive
Lowe’s 13-year-old daughter Fiona died by suicide on September 29, leaving the actor mourning one of his three daughters (pictured with wife Kim Painter and daughters Nixie, Fiona and Mabel in 2023)
‘The timing could have been really bad, because announcing something like that so close to such tragic news would have opened her up to a lot of criticism online, even if it was unintended,’ the source said.
‘Especially since they were once a couple themselves. She obviously would never think of making that announcement had she known what Chad was going through.’
The insider said Swank felt it was essential to ‘hold off’ and was thankful she learned of the tragedy before making her announcement.
‘She is so thankful that it turned out that way because she would never have wanted to add to his grief inadvertently,’ the source added.
Despite her concern for her former husband’s loss, the source said Swank and Lowe have not spoken in years.
‘It has been well over a decade since both Chad and Hillary have talked. They aren’t friends, but they also aren’t enemies and she feels very bad about Chad’s situation, it is very sad and if she happens to cross paths with him ever in the future, they will be cordial with each other, but it will be brief.’
The insider added: ‘As for reaching out recently to send condolences, she’s not talking about whether she did it or not.’
‘She is so thankful that it turned out that way because she would never have wanted to add to his grief inadvertently,’ the source added. (Pictured: Swank with husband Schneider in 2023)
Swank and Lowe announced their separation in 2006, after eight years of marriage and more than 13 years together
The actress also appeared to remain mindful of her former husband’s grief when she shared the pregnancy video, nearly a week after Lowe made a limited return to public view following Fiona’s death.
Last Wednesday, Lowe reposted an Instagram Stories video of Irish writer Gerry Hussey discussing the soul after death.
Hussey said: ‘We are connected to everything that is. It just makes sense, and there’s nothing there but peace and love. So when we die, where do we go? We return to a state of peace and love.’
While the sentiments seemed painfully relevant to the family’s loss, Lowe added no comment of his own to the repost.
Fiona was the middle of Lowe and Painter’s three daughters. The couple, who began dating shortly after his 2006 divorce from Swank, also share Mabel, 17, and Nixie, ten.
It was Mabel who later shared a heartbreaking tribute to her younger sister on October 3.
‘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,’ she wrote.
The tribute came after the Lowe family announced Fiona’s passing, describing their devastation at losing ‘a loving young girl who was smart, creative and loved to dance’.
‘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.’
The family also urged anyone struggling with their mental health to seek support.
Swank and Lowe’s romance began in 1992, when they met at a party at the Hollywood Athletic Club shortly after Swank turned 18.
They later co-starred in 1995’s Quiet Days in Hollywood and married in September 1997.
The couple stayed together through Swank’s early career breakthroughs, including her first Academy Award for Boys Don’t Cry in 2000.
Famously, she omitted Lowe from that acceptance speech – but after winning her second Oscar for Million Dollar Baby on February 27, 2005, she thanked him first, calling him ‘my everything.’
‘It has been well over a decade since both Chad and Hilary have talked. They aren’t friends, but they also aren’t enemies and she feels very bad about Chad’s situation,’ the source added
On January 9, 2006, Swank and Lowe announced their separation after eight years of marriage and more than 13 years together.
Swank later told Vanity Fair that Lowe’s substance-abuse issues had strained the marriage, though she stressed they were not the only cause, saying: ‘If I had to sum it up to one particular thing, I would say that we grew apart.’
Lowe has publicly acknowledged his own struggles with substance abuse. In a 2007 interview, he said: ‘I don’t deny that I had a problem and that it strained our relationship,’ adding that he had been sober for nearly four years at the time.
Their divorce was finalized on November 1, 2007.
Swank went on to date several high-profile men. She was linked to her agent John Campisi from late 2006 until 2012, then French real-estate broker Laurent Fleury from 2012 to 2015.
In 2016, she became engaged to former tennis pro Ruben Torres, but the pair split before walking down the aisle. She later met businessman Schneider, now 54, on a blind date, and they married on August 18, 2018. In April 2023, they welcomed twins Aya and Ohm.
Lowe, for his part, was linked to producer and casting director Painter in January 2007, and the couple married in August 2010 after welcoming their first child.
‘Obviously, they both have moved on with their lives, but they were both important to each other’s lives for so long that the situation Chad is dealing with is heartbreaking,’ our insider said.
‘She couldn’t even imagine what he must be going through.’
The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Swank and Lowe for comment.
If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org.
