‘I was a car wreck’: Julia Roberts ‘complicated’ family feud revealed
He's shared a rare insight into their relationship.
They’re one of the most famous families in Hollywood, but behind the scenes the relationship between Julia Roberts, her brother Eric, and her niece Emma, is complicated.
The family’s fractured relationship first came to light in the 1990s when Eric’s cocaine addiction led to him losing custody of then young Emma.
Thirty years on, the family rift is still not completely healed, but recently Eric made some rare comments about the status of his relationship with his sister and daughter.
Scroll to discover everything you need to know about the Roberts family feud.
Who is in the Roberts family?
Julia Roberts is the most famous member of the Roberts family. In 1990, she became a household name after her breakout role in Pretty Woman.
Julia’s brother Eric is also a well-known actor with over 700 credits to his name, including The Dark Knight, The Cable Guy and The Expendables.
In 1991, Eric and his ex-girlfriend Kelly Cunningham welcomed their daughter, Emma Roberts, into the world. Emma, now 35, is also in the industry, most recently starring in Madame Web and Maybe I Do.
What happened between Julia Roberts and her brother?
Julia and Eric have been at odds since the 1990s when Eric became addicted to cocaine.
At the height of his addiction, Eric left Kelly when Emma was just eight months old. A divorce and custody battle followed, in which Julia showed her support for Kelly rather than her brother, a move that Eric now understands and agrees with.
“I always grapple when I’m asked about my relationship with my sister, or my daughter, or my family of origin because for many years, I was a practicing drug addict, so a lot of people were alienated, especially the family,” he said during a 2024 appearance on Today.
“And I owe them a lot because I love them. I owe them a lot because they love me.”
In his 2024 memoir Runaway Train: Or the Story of My Life So Far, Eric publicly apologised for once saying that without him “there’d be no Julia Roberts”.
“I hope Julia will accept this public apology. It was an asinine thing to have said,” he wrote.
Are Eric Roberts and Emma Roberts still estranged?
While Eric and Emma rarely speak about their relationship in public, Eric recently gave some insight into where they stand now.
During an appearance on the Really Famous With Kara Mayer Robinson podcast this week, the now 69-year-old said he was a “wash rag” when Emma was growing up.
“I was not to be dependent on emotionally because I was a car wreck,” he said.
“I was a car wreck because of many things, but I take full responsibility for it… in that understanding the horrible negative things about my father and realising I had to accept them as a child to get past him and realising that what he drilled into me as loyalty was absolute recklessness.
When asked whether their relationship was still “complicated”, Eric said people just don’t understand it because they don’t actually know them.
“No, no, it’s only complicated through outside eyes because they don’t, because you know, they don’t get any of it,” he said. “So they have their own take, whatever that is, and it’s not a straight line. Cuz they aren’t really involved…But it’s not a real relationship with the subjects. Bring her up all day. I’m so proud of my kid.”
During an appearance on the Still Here Hollywood podcast this week, Eric gushed over his daughter’s rising star.
“I can’t believe how great she’s become,” he said.
“I’m so proud of her I can’t see straight. Since her performance in ‘Maybe I Do’ until right now, she overwhelms me with pride and just, ‘Oh my God, here she goes again,” he continued. “And I’m just so happy to be her dad because she’s kicking a–. And I’m so proud.”
He also said he’s “not allowed” to talk about Julia and Emma in interviews.
“You’ll have to ask her,” he replied when the host asked him how Julia was.
“I love my sister, but I can’t talk about her,” he added. “She doesn’t want to talk about it. And also, my daughter’s told me also not to talk about her, but I stumble and do. I’m not supposed to talk about either of them, but I do.”
