If you've ever scrolled through Instagram and seen a photo of Emma Roberts, you might notice those sharp cheekbones or that "it factor" that seems to run in her DNA. It’s no secret she’s Hollywood royalty. Most people immediately jump to her aunt, Julia Roberts, the woman with the most famous smile in cinema history. But the conversation usually takes a turn when people ask: wait, who is Emma Roberts dad?
The answer is Eric Roberts.
Honestly, Eric is one of the most fascinating, complicated, and prolific figures in the industry. He isn't just "the brother of Julia" or "the father of Emma." He’s a guy with over 700 acting credits to his name, ranging from Oscar-nominated performances to B-movies you’ve probably never heard of. But for years, his relationship with his daughter was defined by distance, drug addiction, and a very public family rift that involved one of the most famous actresses on the planet.
The Breakdown of the Roberts Family Dynamic
To understand the man who is Emma Roberts dad, you have to go back to the early 1990s. Eric was a massive star in the '80s—think Runaway Train and Star 80. He had this brooding, dangerous energy. In 1991, he and his then-girlfriend, Kelly Cunningham, welcomed Emma into the world.
But things went south fast.
Basically, Eric was struggling. Hard. He’s been very open recently in his 2024 memoir, Runaway Train: Or the Story of My Life So Far, about how his cocaine addiction basically torpedoed his personal life. When he and Kelly split up just months after Emma was born, a custody battle ensued.
This is where the "family drama" part gets real.
In a move that shocked the tabloids at the time, Julia Roberts actually sided with Kelly Cunningham. She even reportedly helped fund Kelly’s legal fees to ensure she got custody of Emma. For a long time, the narrative was that Julia "betrayed" her brother. But looking back, Eric admits he wasn't in a place to be a father. He acknowledges now that Julia made the right call because he was "dangerous to be around" during that era of his life.
Why the "Estrangement" Wasn't Just a Media Myth
For a huge chunk of Emma’s life, she and her dad were essentially strangers.
It’s kinda heartbreaking when you hear him talk about it now. On the Inside of You podcast in late 2024, Eric mentioned that the "loss of relationship" with his daughter was the toughest period of his life. He wasn't there for the school plays or the daily stuff. Instead, Emma grew up primarily with her mom and stayed very close to her Aunt Julia.
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You’ve probably seen the photos of Emma and Julia on red carpets together. That bond was forged in the vacuum left by Eric’s absence. While Emma was becoming a star in her own right through Unfabulous and later American Horror Story, Eric was busy working at a breakneck pace—sometimes filming 30 movies in a three-year span.
The Turning Point: Grandkids and Memoirs
Something changed recently. You can feel it in the way Eric talks in interviews now. He’s 69 years old, and he’s clearly in a "redemption" phase of his life.
He’s married to Eliza Roberts (they’ve been together since 1992), and she’s often credited with helping him get clean and stay grounded. But the real shift seemed to happen when Emma became a mother herself. In 2020, Emma gave birth to her son, Rhodes, with her ex-partner Garrett Hedlund.
Eric has mentioned that seeing his grandchildren—specifically a five-year-old granddaughter from his stepchildren who looks just like Emma—has been a massive wake-up call. It reminds him of the years he lost.
He’s also made a very public effort to stop taking credit for the women in his family. For years, Eric famously claimed in a 2018 Vanity Fair interview, "If it wasn't for me, there would be no Julia Roberts and no Emma Roberts."
He apologized for that. In his 2024 memoir, he called that statement "unfortunate" and "untrue." He’s finally at a place where he can just be a fan of their work without needing to be the reason for it. He’s obsessed with Emma’s performance in American Horror Story and We’re the Millers. He’s like a proud dad who’s watching from the sidelines, even if he’s still "not supposed to talk about her" (a request he says both Julia and Emma have made to keep their private lives private).
Who Is Eric Roberts Today?
If you look at his IMDb today, it’s a chaotic masterpiece. He’s in The Dark Knight as a mob boss, and then he’s in a random Lifetime movie, and then he’s on Dancing with the Stars. He works 200 days a year.
But behind the work, he’s a guy trying to navigate a "complicated" relationship status. He and Emma aren't exactly best friends who grab coffee every Sunday, but there’s a bridge being built. Emma has even given him permission to interact with her a little bit on Instagram, which is basically the modern-day version of a peace treaty.
What you should take away from the story of Emma Roberts dad:
- He’s a survivor: Between a near-fatal car crash in 1980 and a decade of heavy drug use, it’s a miracle he’s still working.
- The rift was real but understandable: His addiction was the primary reason for the distance between him, his sister, and his daughter.
- Accountability matters: His recent memoir is less of a "tell-all" and more of an "I messed up" book, which is rare for Hollywood.
- Respecting boundaries: He acknowledges that while he’s "Emma Roberts' dad," he has to respect her wish for privacy.
If you’re looking to follow the family’s journey, the best thing you can do is keep an eye on Eric’s candid interviews. He’s stopped trying to paint a perfect picture and started telling the truth. For a family as famous as the Roberts clan, that honesty is probably the only way they’ll ever truly heal.
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Next time you see Emma on screen, remember she isn't just a "nepo baby"—she’s someone who navigated a pretty turbulent family history and came out the other side as one of the most bankable stars of her generation.
Next Steps for You
- Check out Eric’s memoir: Runaway Train (2024) gives the most detailed account of the custody battle and his side of the story.
- Watch their early work: Compare Eric’s performance in King of the Gypsies to Emma’s early roles; the family resemblance in their acting style is actually wild.
- Respect the privacy: Remember that while Eric talks, Emma and Julia usually don't. That’s their way of keeping what’s left of their family bond safe from the headlines.