Rob Lowe Reflects on Leaving ‘The West Wing’: ‘It Was a Super Unhealthy Relationship’

9-1-1 Lone Star‘s Rob Lowe has been opening up about his time working on the NBC drama The West Wing, explaining why he chose to leave after the fourth season.

Appearing on the Stitcher Studios podcast Podcrushed (recorded before the SAG strike), the Unstable star was candid about his experiences on the hit political drama, comparing it to “a super unhealthy relationship.”

“I did not have a good experience,” he told Penn Badgley and his co-hosts, admitting that he “tried to make it work” but couldn’t put his issues aside.

“Then what happened was my kids were getting to a certain age where I could see them having first girlfriends or friends and being in a relationship that was abusive and taking it,” Lowe continued. “She’s the popular girl; everybody likes her, she’s beautiful, it must be great. All the things that people would say about making The West Wing to me. It’s so popular, it’s so amazing, it must be amazing. But I know what it’s like, and if I couldn’t walk away from it, then how could I empower my kids to walk away from it?”

Lowe, who played deputy communications director Sam Seaborn for the first four seasons, exited the Aaron Sorkin series after Season 4. At the time, reports stated that Lowe was frustrated with the diminished role of his character and his lack of pay increase in light of Martin Sheen and other co-stars receiving raises.

“As much as it hurts to admit it, it has been increasingly clear, for quite a while, that there was no longer a place for Sam Seaborn on The West Wing,” Lowe said in a statement at the time. “Warner had allowed me an opportunity to leave the show as I arrived — grateful for it, happy to have been on it and proud of it.”

The Parks & Recreation actor later returned for two episodes on The West Wing‘s seventh and final season. But looking back now, he doesn’t regret his decision to leave at all.

“I walked away from the most popular girl at school, but I also knew that it was a super unhealthy relationship, and it was the best thing I ever did,” Lowe said in the new interview.