Eric Roberts pens ‘public apology’ to sister Julia in memoir as he blames himself for decades-long feud

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Actor Eric Roberts has issued a 'public apology' to his sister Julia Roberts following the siblings’ decades-long strained relationship. 

Eric, 68, recently published his memoir ‘Runaway Train: Or the Story of My Life So Far’, where he opened up about his troubled upbringing in Georgia, his roller-coaster life that comprised of spectacular highs and tragic lows, and his difficult relationship with Julia, 56. 

In his memoir, Eric recalled the time when he asserted the ‘Pretty Woman’ actress’ career was possible because of him. But now, the actor -- who has been named as one of the celebrity contestants on the upcoming season of ‘Dancing With The Stars’ -- has admitted it “was an asinine thing to have said.”

Eric Roberts issues 'public apology' to Julia Roberts in his memoir

Eric Roberts, who comes from a family of actors, is the son of Walter Roberts and Betty Lou Bredemus. His parents ran a progressive acting school for children in Atlanta, Georgia. 

However, his childhood wasn’t happy, as he described his father as “a very screwed-up individual.” Eric wrote that his father -- who was raised by an abusive father himself -- drank and was prone to violent outbursts, per People.

He further added that his father Walter was “not safe for me, or anyone, to have as a father.”

After his parents divorced in 1971, Eric stayed with his father who ultimately died of cancer in 1971. 

Julia, his other sister Lisa, 59, moved in with their mother Betty Lou who eventually married Michael Motes. 

Eric relocated to New York when he was 17 and tried his hands in acting. By 1978, he found success in the entertainment industry through ‘King of the Gypsies’. He also earned an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actor for his role as an escaped convict in the 1985 thriller ‘Runaway Train’. 

However, his early career wasn’t always a smooth ride, as he was involved in a serious car accident that put him in a three-day coma. Eric wrote that the impact of his injuries, coupled with years of drug abuse, affected his memory. 

Nevertheless, when Julia came to New York in 1985 to start her journey in the entertainment industry, the ‘Star 80’ actor was the more famous actor and was addicted to cocaine. 

On more than one occasion, he famously claimed of his superstar sister, “If it wasn’t for me, there would be no Julia Roberts.” 

Now, decades later, Eric is backtracking on his words while publicly apologizing to his sister. He wrote in the memoir, “I hope Julia will accept this public apology. It was an asinine thing to have said.”

He further admitted in his writing that he fears his drug addiction might have destroyed his relationships with his sisters. 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they suffered from PTSD from when it was dangerous to be around me,” he wrote before explaining, “Lisa and Julia needed love and protection — instead they got fear and uncertainty.” 

Eric Roberts opens up about his strained relationship with daughter Emma Roberts

Julia Roberts is not the only family member who is receiving a heartfelt apology from Eric. 

In his memoir, the actor also included an elaborate segment to mourn the loss of custody of his daughter Emma Roberts. 

Eric shares his 33-year-old daughter Emma with his ex Kim Cunningham. The former couple went separate ways when the ‘Scream 4’ actress was a baby. 

“Of course, the biggest consequence of my drug use was losing Emma,” wrote Eric. 

The ‘Suits’ actor, who has been married to Eliza Garret since 1992, shared that his relationship with Julia further deteriorated when the ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ actress sided with Cunningham during the custody battle of baby Emma. 

While he didn’t delve into further detail, Eric wrote that it was the time when he was battling uncontrollable cocaine addiction. He also admitted in his memoir that his sister’s decision at that time was the right call. 

He wrote further, “I imagine I will remain as Julia’s brother and Emma Roberts’ dad for the rest of my life,” before emphasizing, “I’d like to make good on that, to move aside proudly and with grace. That’s part of the reason for writing the book.”

In his book, he also explored his troubled relationship with his father, as he wrote, “I knew that I loved him. I couldn’t live down the shame of loving him or of who he was, someone capable of terrible things," before noting, "I was ashamed of being so much of him and so much like him.”

“If you’ve ever loved a parent … with a cruel nature, it’s never too late to begin to recover from the shame and pain of it all,” wrote the embattled actor.

Eric Roberts is not allowed to talk about his daughter and sister

While it is not known what the ‘Notting Hill’ actress thinks about her brother, there might have been a rule in the Roberts family where Eric is not allowed to talk about his sister and daughter, per She Knows.

He revealed the detail during an appearance on the ‘Still Here Hollywood’ podcast in July, saying, “I love my sister, but I can’t talk about her. She doesn’t want to talk about it.”

He also added, “And also, my daughter told me not to talk about her, but I stumble and do. I’m not supposed to talk about either of them. But I do.”