Hollywood loves a dynasty, but the one involving Julia Roberts and brother Eric Roberts is anything but a straight line. It's a jagged, messy, forty-year-long emotional rollercoaster. Most people see the "Pretty Woman" star and think of that million-dollar smile. They don't see the decades of silence, the court battles, or the recent public apologies that have kept the tabloids fed since the mid-eighties.
Honestly? It's a miracle they’re even on speaking terms today.
The Early Days and the Fame Flip
Growing up in Georgia, the Roberts kids weren't exactly living a charmed life. Their parents, Walter and Betty Lou, ran an acting school, which sounds fancy until you realize the home life was reportedly volatile. Eric was the first to make it. He moved to New York, landed a soap opera gig, and eventually scored an Oscar nod for Runaway Train in 1985.
He was the star. Julia was just the little sister.
Then, everything flipped. By the late eighties, Julia wasn't just an actress; she was a global phenomenon. While her star was rising, Eric was struggling. Deeply. He’s been very open lately about his past cocaine addiction, describing himself as "exhausting to be around." He was "complainy" and "blamey." Basically, he was a handful.
The rift wasn't just about professional jealousy. It was about survival.
The Custody Battle That Broke Everything
If you want to know the exact moment the relationship between Julia Roberts and brother Eric went nuclear, look at 1993. Eric was in a nasty custody battle with his ex-girlfriend, Kelly Cunningham, over their daughter—now-famous actress Emma Roberts.
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In a move that stunned the industry, Julia didn't take her brother's side.
She reportedly funded Kelly’s legal fees. Imagine that for a second. Your superstar sister paying for your ex to take your kid away. It sounds cold, but Eric himself admitted in his 2024 memoir, Runaway Train: Or, The Story of My Life So Far, that Julia made the right call. He was in no state to be a father at the time. Still, the betrayal felt absolute. It led to more than a decade of total silence.
A Hospital Room Reconciliation
For years, they were ghosts to each other. No emails. No calls. No holiday dinners.
That changed in 2004. Julia had just given birth to her twins, Hazel and Phinnaeus. Eric decided to take a chance. He showed up at the hospital with gifts, fully expecting to be turned away at the door by security.
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Instead? He was ushered right in.
He described the moment as being "awash in brotherly and uncle-ly love." It was a truce born out of a new generation. They started emailing. They started spending Thanksgiving together. But as anyone with a complicated family knows, "reconciled" doesn't always mean "fixed."
Why Things Are Tense Again in 2026
Even now, things are... delicate. In late 2024 and throughout 2025, Eric went on a bit of a press tour for his book. He publicly apologized for saying things like, "If it wasn't for me, there would be no Julia Roberts." He called that comment "asinine."
He’s right. It was.
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But sources close to Julia suggest she wasn't thrilled about the book. There have been whispers that she felt he was "using her life to sell copies." Julia has always been fiercely private, while Eric is an open book—sometimes too open. In 2024, he even admitted on a podcast that both Julia and Emma have told him point-blank not to talk about them in interviews.
"I'm not supposed to talk about either of them," he said. "But I do."
That’s the core of the friction. One sibling wants the spotlight to stay on the work; the other can't help but talk about the family tree.
The Realities of the Roberts Legacy
It is important to look at the facts of where they stand now. Eric has over 700 credits to his name. He is a workhorse. Julia remains one of the most respected A-listers in history. They have both overcome childhood stutters—a detail many fans miss—to become world-class communicators.
But communication between them is still a work in progress.
- The Stutter: Both siblings struggled with severe stutters as kids. Eric has said he only felt fluent when he memorized lines.
- The Apology: Eric’s 2024 memoir contains a formal public apology for his past behavior and for taking credit for Julia's career.
- The Daughter: Emma Roberts remains caught in the middle, often staying silent about her father while maintaining a very close "twin-like" bond with her Aunt Julia.
Practical Takeaways from the Roberts Drama
We can learn a lot from the saga of Julia Roberts and brother Eric. Family dynamics in the public eye are just magnified versions of what happens in every living room.
- Forgiveness is a process, not a destination. The 2004 hospital meeting was a start, but twenty years later, they are still navigating boundaries.
- Addiction leaves a long shadow. Eric’s "blamey" phase during his drug use created "PTSD-like" environments for his sisters, something he only fully realized decades later.
- Boundaries are non-negotiable. If a family member asks you not to talk about them, and you do it anyway to promote a book, expect some frostiness.
If you're dealing with a long-term family rift, the Roberts story suggests that while a "Hollywood ending" is possible, it usually involves a lot of difficult conversations and a lot of time. Sometimes, being "email buddies" is a massive victory compared to a decade of silence.
Check out the latest interviews with Eric if you want to see the nuance of his regret firsthand—it’s a masterclass in how to take accountability, even if it’s forty years late.