Julia Roberts’ older brother and Emma Roberts’ father has publicly apologized to his sister for taking responsibility for her Oscar-winning career.
Eric Roberts makes amends.
In his new memoirs, the 68-year-old reflects on the highs and lows of his career and his life. Runaway Train: Or the story of my life so farand how this affected his relationship with his famous sister, Julia Robertsand his daughter Emma Roberts.
Eric had already made headlines in 2018 when he spoke about his estrangement from his sister while struggling with drug and alcohol abuse.
“If it weren’t for me, there would be no Julia Roberts and no Emma Roberts as celebrities, as actresses, and I’m very proud of that,” he said Vanity Fairat that time.
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Although he said in the same interview that he had reconciled with his sister after the birth of their twins in 2004, a small rift arose within the family – no matter how hard he tried, denied it at the time – and with the publication of his memoirs, Roberts now retracts some of those comments and asks for forgiveness.
In an excerpt from his book shared by PeopleEric writes: “I hope Julia will accept this public apology. That was a stupid statement.”
He added that his struggle with drugs had a direct impact on his relationship with his family, including his other sister, Lisa Roberts Gillan.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if they suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder because it was dangerous to be around me,” he writes. “Lisa and Julia needed love and protection – instead they became afraid and insecure.”
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In addition to his strained relationship with his siblings, Eric wrote that the “biggest consequence” of his addiction was “losing Emma.”
The American Horror Story Star is the daughter of Eric and his ex Kelly Cunningham, who split when she was still a baby. Julia supported Kelly in her custody battle against Eric for Emma. While the actor does not go into detail about the situation in his book, he writes that Julia made the right decision at the time.
“I can imagine that I will remain Julia’s brother and Emma Roberts’ father for the rest of my life,” said Eric, who is currently in competition on Dancing with the stars writes. “I want to make amends by walking away with pride and dignity. That’s one of the reasons I wrote the book.”
Although Julia and Emma have not spoken about their relationship with Eric, the 33-year-old actress has made her father proud.
“I am in love with my daughter’s work,” Eric said during an appearance at Still here, Hollywood in July 2024. “I can’t believe how amazing she’s become. I’m so proud of her I can’t see straight anymore.”
