Eric Roberts’ new book leaves Julia Roberts seeing red as he uses 'her life’ to promote it, says insider

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: The already tense relationship between Julia Roberts and her older brother, Eric Roberts, has taken a sharp turn for the worse.

Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee Eric, 68, recently criticized Julia's acting skills in his newly released memoir, reigniting long-standing family tensions.

Eric Roberts breaks silence on rocky relationship with Julia Roberts in new memoir

Eric Roberts, who has had a tumultuous relationship with his Oscar-winning sister Julia Roberts, did not hold back in his critique of her performance in the 1989 film 'Steel Magnolias'.

In his memoir, 'Runaway Train: or, The Story of My Life So Far', Eric admitted that Julia, 65, had previously asked him not to speak about her publicly.

However, he added, "But I do!" This admission follows an earlier apology for a 2018 interview where Eric falsely claimed credit for launching Julia's career—something he now acknowledges was fabricated, according to In Touch.

Despite his apology, Eric didn’t shy away from criticizing his sister’s acting.

He acknowledged that she was "good in Mystic Pizza, great in Pretty Woman, but not so much in Steel Magnolias, in my opinion.”

The actor, who has also been nominated for an Academy Award, elaborated, "I don’t want to sound like an actor talking, or a jealous sibling, but I don’t think her performance held up in that movie."

Julia Roberts distances herself from Eric Robers following controversial comments

Eric Roberts' comments have further strained the fragile truce he and Julia Roberts established in 2004, after being estranged for more than two decades.

In addition to his critique of her acting, Eric shared bizarre and unsettling stories about his famous sister, including a whispered rumor of an incestuous relationship between them—an allegation that has shocked readers and reportedly angered Julia.

According to a close friend of the 'Pretty Woman' star, Julia is outraged by Eric’s decision to air these personal and damaging claims.

"Julia is 12 years younger than Eric and he had already moved out of the house by the time she was in second grade," the friend explained.

"She says Eric actually knows very little about her, and that he used her life to help sell his book is unforgivable — but she won’t tell him so."

Rather than confronting her brother, Julia is opting to distance herself.

"She would rather never speak to him again!" the friend revealed, emphasizing the deep hurt and betrayal Julia feels over Eric’s memoir.

However, during a June 2022 appearance on the 'Behind The Velvet Rope With David Yontef' podcast, Eric revealed, “Julia and I have always been fine."

“I think years and years ago, I was doing a press tour for some movie … It was just when Pretty Woman [had been] released, and so they’re asking a bunch of questions about Julia. And I said, ‘Hey, excuse me. Can we talk about me?’”

He continued, “Suddenly … I keep hearing about [these issues] I have with my sister that I don’t [actually] have with my sister," as per US Weekly.