Eric Roberts Talks Relationship With Emma Roberts
by Leyla MohammedBuzzFeedBuzzFeed StaffAs a Celebrity Reporter, I cover everything from fashion and award shows to TV, film, and cultural conversations.
This article discusses substance misuse.
Eric Roberts is continuing to open up about his relationship with his daughter, Emma Roberts.
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If you didn’t know, The Dark Knight actor Eric — who is also the brother of Julia Roberts — welcomed Emma, also an actor, with his ex-partner Kelly Cunningham back in 1991.
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Eric has been incredibly open about how dealing with substance addiction made it difficult for him to handle parenting Emma when she was younger, and eventually resulted in him losing custody of her. “I loved my little daughter with the strength of Hercules, despite my own weaknesses,” he said in his 2024 memoir Runaway Train: Or, the Story of My Life So Far. “However, I couldn’t handle the realities of an infant coming into my life, and I couldn’t handle being a parent! I’m still not a father figure.”
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“The biggest consequence of my drug use was losing Emma. I was still impossibly coked up when she was born, which explains everything,” he said, adding, “I never saw myself as someone who deserved to have physical custody of Emma, not in a million years.”
This week, Eric sat down on Kara Mayer Robinson’s Really Famous podcast to discuss his parenting further.
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Recalling the moment newborn Emma stopped “screaming her head off” when he sang “Happy Birthday” to her, a song he sang repeatedly while Kelly was pregnant, Eric said, “It was the most complete moment, maybe I have ever had in my life. That something I did was recognized by a brand-new creature who had my DNA. Oh my God. And there she was, and she already knew me.”
Really Famous with Kara Mayer Robinson / Via youtube.com
Describing the moment as “maybe the most incredible thing” he has ever been through, Eric went on to recall his emotional state when Emma was born, explaining that he had been dealing with depression and “self-abuse.”
Really Famous with Kara Mayer Robinson / Via youtube.com
“Emotionally, I was a wash rag. I was not to be depended on emotionally whatsoever, ‘cause I was a car wreck. And I was a car wreck because of many things, but I take full responsibility for it,” he shared.
Really Famous with Kara Mayer Robinson / Via youtube.com
Noting that he wasn’t “uncomfortable” with host Kara bringing up Emma in their conversation, Eric said, “I’m so proud of my daughter.”
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When Kara asked if his and Emma’s relationship is “complicated,” Eric replied, “Not really. It’s only complicated to outside eyes because they don’t get any of it, so they have their own take, whatever that is, and it’s not.”
Really Famous with Kara Mayer Robinson / Via youtube.com
Reiterating that he’s “so proud” of Emma, Eric said, “You know, she didn’t start off as a great actor. But she became a great actor. She’s fabulous, and I’m so proud of that...The first thing I saw her do that I was like, ‘Wow, oh my God, I’m so proud of you’, was, uh, Maybe I Do. Is that it? I don’t know, I’m so bad with titles.”
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Maybe I Do came out in 2023, and also stars Diane Keaton, Richard Gere, William H. Macy, and Luke Bracey. Before Maybe I Do, Emma starred in a bunch of movies and TV shows, including American Horror Story, Scream Queens, Wild Child, Nerve, and We’re The Millers, to name a few.
Kara later told Eric that there are probably “emotions that are complicated” when it comes to his relationship with Emma. He replied, “Probably, but that’s not an issue. And that’s not anything I’m here to discuss with you. It is what that is, but that’s a whole other issue in my life. That’s not what we’re talking about today.”
Really Famous with Kara Mayer Robinson / Via youtube.com
You can listen to Eric’s full appearance on the Really Famous podcast here.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, you can call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) and find more resources here.
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