He was one of Hollywood’s most alluring actors of the 1980s because of his smoldering eyes, lethal charisma, and brilliance.
One terrible choice, however, has followed him throughout his life despite the celebrity, red carpets, and flashing cameras.
Because he was a young father who abandoned his newborn child when she was just seven months old before he became an Oscar-nominated actor.
One of the most promising leading men of his time, Eric Roberts was born in 1956 in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Following his Broadway success with Burn This, he shot to fame in film, receiving Golden Globe nods for Runaway Train, Star 80, and King of the Gypsies.
Eric was a Hollywood mainstay by the middle of the 1980s; he was attractive, gifted, and unstoppable.
Away from the spotlight, however, the actor was descending into addiction, and his family would soon be torn apart by that darkness.Everything quickly fell apart after the birth of Eric’s daughter Emma on February 10, 1991.
left her behind when she was seven months old.
He once said of his ex-partner Kelly Cunningham and their young daughter, “I had abandoned Kelly when Emma was just seven months old.”
Roberts was struggling with drug use at the time. After the breakup, Kelly was granted sole custody of Emma.
In his 2024 book Runaway Train, he observed, “I couldn’t handle the realities of an infant coming into my life, and I couldn’t handle being a parent.”
Even worse, Julia Roberts, Eric’s well-known sister, supported Kelly in court.
Many have perceived it as Julia Roberts stabbing her brother in the back and betraying him. Eric, however, asserts that this was not the case at all.It seems like people are often asking if Julia and I had a huge argument about Emma’s custody. In his memoir, he adds, “I’d like to clear the air about that, once and for all.” He goes on:
“I never in a million years thought that I should have physical custody of Emma.” Both of us were aware of that. Julia never supported Kelly in a custody dispute since Kelly never stated that I was attempting to obtain physical custody of Emma. In actuality, there was no custody dispute.
The Pretty Woman actress, however, stepped in to provide financial support to pay for the divorce’s legal fees.
Fortunately, Julia lent a hand because she could afford to and for Emma’s benefit. I was really grateful for that.
The daughter who was raised apart from him
Emma Roberts was raised by her mother and in the shadow of her well-known aunt while Eric struggled with his addiction. When she first fell in love with the magic of filmmaking, she would go see Julia Roberts on the set of Erin Brockovich.
I would hide in her makeup trailer when night fell and hear people asking, “Where’s Emma? Time to go to bed! She must return home! In a 2016 interview with Allure, Emma recounted.
“I recall the sense of creativity, making it feel like summer camp.”
Years later, the same young child rose to fame as the lead in We’re the Millers, Scream Queens, and American Horror Story.
However, the scar caused by her father’s absence never completely went away.
Emma once gave a thoughtful response when asked if she and him were close:
“How do I say this, um? No, we aren’t.
Today, Eric Roberts
Eric Roberts is 69 today. He is still employed, sober, and introspective.
He has been candid in discussing the years he lost and the individuals he harmed.
He admitted to Today, “I was a practicing drug addict for many years.” Many people, particularly the family, felt estranged as a result. They love me, so I owe them a lot.
Additionally, he has reconciled with his past. His love for his daughter never faded.
For Emma’s birthday, he posted a heartwarming Instagram picture of her as a young child, reading a toy instruction manual while he devotedly observed her.
He wrote, “As you can see, I am clueless about the task.” However, I knew she would become all of that and more because of the unmistakable affection I have for her, even in profile. Emma, I adore you.
“Addicts are not evil people.”
Eric Roberts no longer avoids speaking the truth.
He has taken responsibility for his faults, reconstructed his marriage to Eliza Roberts, and is still acting in both independent and big-budget productions.
“Being a casualty is the only way to be a good example,” he declared.
“Addicts are not evil people. They are simply making an error.
The actor revealed that he has complete faith in his daughter’s capacity to manage Hollywood life.
He wrote, “People frequently ask me if I’m worried about my daughter being in the acting business.” “I adore this company. Emma is far stronger than I was at that age and time, but I didn’t realize how much it beats you up. She has access to more resources than I ever did to create a secure environment for herself.
Clarity, forgiveness, and optimism are far more significant to Eric Roberts, a guy who previously lost everything, including celebrity, family, and parenthood.
One thing has remained constant despite his kid growing up without him.
He continues to watch her with the quiet pride of a father who has finally realized what truly counts, rather than from the front row of celebrity.
