Actor Chad Lowe was stunned when his ex-wife Hilary Swank went public with his past substance abuse problems after announcing she had split up with the 24 star.

Lowe admits he was still coming to terms with the break-up of his marriage when the double Oscar winner dropped the bombshell about his troubled past in an interview.

Lowe says, "It wasn't as though she made something up, and it was all of a sudden, you know, she was telling some lie. I mean, it's true.

"I was disappointed... I felt like it was for me to discuss if I wanted to discuss it."

But the actor holds no animosity towards his ex; in fact he believes Swank will always regret going public with his terrible secret.