Julia Roberts, one of Hollywood’s most sought-after stars, has long eclipsed Eric Roberts, a seasoned actor with an impressive career.

Both siblings have achieved fame on their own, but their relationship has been rocky. Did you know that Eric cannot mention Julia’s name in interviews?

Eric Roberts, 68, and Julia Roberts, 58, have nearly a decade-long age gap. The same parents raised the siblings, who were born in 1956 and 1965, respectively, and they went on to have successful acting careers.
Eric Roberts, born in 1956, began his acting career in the 1970s and quickly rose to prominence as a leading man with his performance in King of the Gypsies (1978). His most notable roles are those in The Dark Knight and The Expendables.

Meanwhile, Julia’s career has been defined by unforgettable performances in iconic films like Pretty Woman, Notting Hill, and Erin Brockovich, the latter of which earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress.

Their relationship has not always been without challenges. A severe cocaine addiction derailed his once-promising career, and standing in Julia’s shadow was certainly not easy.

Eric stated in 2022, “Julia and I have always been fine,” but then added, “I think years and years ago, I was doing a press tour for some movie…” It was just after Pretty Woman’s release, so they were asking a lot of questions about Julia. And I said, “Hey, excuse me.” “Can We Talk About Me?”

Eric Roberts lied about the infamous vehicle collision.
Despite Eric’s many positive statements about his relationship with Julia and their other sister, Lisa, it is clear that his substance abuse caused friction between them.

Eric Roberts’ struggles with substance abuse have a long history, and they almost cost him his life. One particularly infamous incident from 1981 has received a tremendous deal of attention. Eric was involved in a terrifying car crash that left him “in a coma for three days.” He left the hospital a month later, but the crash’s story was far from over.

At the time, Eric claimed to be driving a doorless Jeep with his girlfriend’s dog in the passenger seat. When the dog “leaned out too far,” he reached for it, losing control of the car and crashing into a tree.

But it wasn’t the whole truth. Decades later, Eric admitted that he had left out an important detail: he was actually high on cocaine at the time.

Road to Recovery
Eric Roberts’ road to recovery was not easy. He experienced setbacks along the way, including a major relapse. Arresting him for drug possession, harassing a woman, and assaulting a police officer in 1987 marked a dark turn in his life.

The arrest followed an incident in which Eric, while under the influence, showed up at the home of a woman he had met at a party the previous year and began banging on her door.

The troubles didn’t end there. Eight years later, Roberts found himself in trouble with the law again, this time for an altercation with his wife, Eliza. During a heated argument, Eliza called 911, and the police reported that Eric had pushed her, causing her head to hit the wall. However, Eric and his wife later denied any physical abuse occurred, leaving the circumstances surrounding the incident unclear.

Relationship with Julia Roberts.
Despite Eric’s many positive statements about his relationship with Julia and their other sister, Lisa, it is clear that his substance abuse caused friction between them.

Eric admitted that his substance-abusing behavior—describing himself as “exhausting to be around”—had a significant role in the siblings drifting apart.

“I wouldn’t characterize it as a falling out.” I was crazy about my sisters. Loved and adored them.” They were precious to me, and we had times of tremendous closeness,” Eric told Vanity Fair, adding:

“I was exhausting to be around: complaining, blaming, and incapable of enjoying life. Everyone in my world needed a break from time to time, and Julia was no exception.

The early 1970s’ difficult childhood may have contributed to Eric Roberts’ strained relationship with his sisters. His mother was “dead” to him. Betty Lou Bredemus and Walter Grady Roberts, Eric’s parents, worked as actors and playwrights, but their marriage fell apart when Betty Lou filed for divorce in 1971.

Early 1972 saw the finalization of the divorce. Following the separation, Eric remained in Atlanta with his father, while his sisters, Julia and Lisa, relocated to Smyrna, a small community near Atlanta, with their mother.

After the divorce, the family’s finances deteriorated, and everything appeared to fall apart. Julia was four years old when her parents divorced, and Eric was sixteen.

“My mother worked as a secretary. My father sold vacuum cleaners. I lived with my mother. “We saw Dad on holidays,” Julia Roberts told the Boston Globe.

Eric’s memoir, Runaway Train: Or The Story Of My Life So Far, explores terrible memories from his youth. In it, he acknowledges how his actions at the time had a significant impact on his relationships with Julia and Lisa.

He recalls how his careless words had a lasting impact on his sisters, Julie and Lisa, who were 11 and 13 years old and living with their mother.

Today, Eric accepts full responsibility for the strain on his family, admitting that he brought both of his younger sisters into his troubled life with addiction. Over time, he recognized that they were exhausted by the chaos and eventually decided that dealing with him was more trouble than it was worth.

Reunion with Julia.
Fortunately, a surprising invitation to the hospital in 2004 marked a turning point in the siblings’ reconciliation. The family reconnected in November of that year, when Julia gave birth to her twins, Phinnaeus and Hazel. Julia and her husband, Danny Moder, also welcomed their younger son, Henry Daniel, in 2007.

Despite the challenges, Eric Roberts appears to have a strong admiration for both of his sisters. He also jokingly took credit for launching his superstar sister’s career, saying, “If it wasn’t for me, there would be no Julia Roberts and Emma Roberts as celebrities, as actresses, and I’m very proud of that.”

But there was, of course, some truth to the joke. Julia used to visit her brother in New York as a teenager and even got to be on the sets of some of his films, including The Pope of Greenwich Village and Star 80.

Eric, who was already an established actor when Julia was starting out, made sure she met the right people early on in her career.

“When Julia first arrived in New York, I went to William Morris and asked, ‘Which one of you is going to sign my sister Julia?'”

Julia has acknowledged that her brother played a role in her career, despite her desire to forge her own path and avoid being too closely associated with Eric.

“After vacation, all of my friends would come home from Florida with a gorgeous tan, and I would come home knowing I had met all of these people. Still, I didn’t want it to seem like I was only doing it for Eric,” Julia said.

Eric Roberts’ daughter is an actor.
The Roberts Family’s Talent Does Not End With Julia and Eric. Emma Roberts, Eric’s daughter, has made a name for herself with memorable performances in films such as We’re the Millers and the hit television series American Horror Story.

His sister Julia often overshadows Eric, and his daughter Emma also bears the burden of her father’s legacy. During the height of Eric’s drug addiction, he lost contact with Emma, leaving his ex, Kelly Cunningham, to raise their daughter without him.

“Of course, losing Emma was the biggest consequence of my drug use,” Eric said, reflecting on the pain of losing his daughter when she was just a baby.

Julia, recognizing the severity of Eric’s addiction, supported Cunningham at the time. Today, Eric fully understands that it was the best decision for everyone.

Her father’s struggles have impacted Emma’s career. “I’ve lost more jobs than I’ve gained from being in the business,” she told Flaunt Magazine. “People have opinions, and they may not always be positive ones about people in your family.” I have never been hired because of this, and I am aware that I have lost a few jobs due to it.

Why can’t Eric talk about Julia?
Today, the Roberts siblings choose to keep their relationship private. There appears to be an unspoken rule in the Roberts family about Eric discussing his daughter or sister in the media.

Eric revealed this information during a July interview on the Still Here Hollywood podcast. “I Love My Sister, But I Cannot Talk About Her.” She doesn’t want to talk about it,” he said. “My daughter warned me not to talk about her, but I find myself stumbling and talking about her.” I shouldn’t talk about either of them, but I do.

But the proud father couldn’t stop gushing about her accomplishments. Eric talked about his relationship with Julia on the Still Here Hollywood podcast.

“I’m in love with my daughter’s work right now. I can’t believe how great she has become.” I’m so proud of her; I can’t see straight,” Eric said on the podcast.

Writing his memoirs has allowed Eric to process everything. As he writes in his book, he hopes that this marks the start of a more peaceful life, free of addiction and broken relationships.

“I imagine I will remain as Julia’s brother and Emma Roberts’ dad for the rest of my life,” he writes in his memoir. “I’d like to make good on that, to step aside proudly and gracefully.” That’s one of the reasons he wrote the book.