Eric Roberts Apologizes to Sister Julia Roberts Amid Estrangement

Eric Roberts is taking accountability for his mistakes.

The 68-year-old is reflecting on the highs and lows of his life and career in his new memoir Runaway Train: Or the Story of My Life So Far, and how it impacted his relationships with his famous sister Julia Roberts and his daughter Emma Roberts.

After making headlines in 2018 for declaring to Vanity Fair, “If it wasn’t for me, there would be no Julia Roberts and no Emma Roberts as celebrities, as actresses, and I’m very proud of that,” Eric, who battled a cocaine addiction, is walking back his comments.

“I hope Julia will accept this public apology,” he writes in the book (per People). “It was an asinine thing to have said.” 

He added that his drug addiction struggles directly affected his relationship with Julia and their other sister Lisa Roberts Gillan.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they suffered from PTSD from when it was dangerous to be around me,” he writes. “Lisa and Julia needed love and protection — instead they got fear and uncertainty.”  

In addition to his strained relationship with his siblings, Eric wrote that the “biggest consequence” of his addiction struggles was “losing Emma.”

The Scream Queens star is the daughter of Eric and his ex Kelly Cunningham, who broke up when she was a baby. Julia supported Kelly in her custody battle against Eric for Emma. According to People, the actor doesn’t go into detail about the situation in his book, but writes that Julia made the right decision.

“I imagine I will remain as Julia’s brother and Emma Roberts’ dad for the rest of my life,” the Dancing With the Stars contestant writes. “I’d like to make good on that, to move aside proudly and with grace. That’s part of the reason for writing the book.”

And while Emma hasn’t spoken much about her relationship with her father, the 33-year-old has made her dad proud.

"I'm in love with my daughter's work these days," Eric said during an appearance on Still Here Hollywood in July 2024. "I can't believe how great she's become. I'm so proud of her I can't see straight."