It’s not often in Hollywood that true talent and certain star qualities are inherited. And the Roberts family is one such clan.
To understand the true history of this incredible and unique family, it is necessary to go back to the early 1950s. That’s when Julia Roberts’ parents, Betty Lou Bredemus and Walter Grady Roberts, first met – and were brought together by their shared love of performing.
Soon enough, Betty Lou Bredemus and Walter Grady Roberts formalized their romance, tying the knot in 1955. The happy couple got their own house, where they lovingly lived, and soon their first child was born – son Eric.
And in 1967, the couple had a daughter, who later became the highest-paid actress in the world. Julia Roberts was born in Smyrna, Georgia, on October 28, 1967.
Years later, Eric Roberts called his parents’ marriage a “disaster”. They were married for 16 years; it was very emotional, very loud.”
In 1971, Bredemus filed for divorce, and the breakup was finalized early the following year.
The lives of the Roberts children were turned upside down after their parents’ divorce.
As a result, not only did the family’s heart collapse, the parents were no longer together, but the siblings themselves were separated from each other.
However, all this came into question when Bredemus married for the second time – for Michael Motes. To this day, Julia Roberts refuses to talk about Motes in interviews, and it is rumored that she had an uneasy relationship with him throughout her youth.
They were rumored to have had their first child together in 1976, a daughter, Nancy Motes.
However, in 1977, the Roberts children were shocked when their father, Walter Grady Roberts, passed away from throat cancer.
At age 10, young Julia Roberts had already experienced more tragedy and upheaval than many people do in a lifetime.
So, in 1983, it was no surprise to many when Bredemus filed for divorce from Motes.
Even as a little girl, Roberts seemed to have the same dreams as the average schoolgirl: she wanted to become a veterinarian and enjoyed playing clarinet in the school orchestra.
After getting a role in the acclaimed movie Mystic Pizza, Julia Roberts starred in some of the most iconic films of the 80s and 90s, such as Steel Magnolias, Pretty Woman, and Sleeping with the Enemy.
Soon enough, Julia Roberts became the highest-paid actress of the 1990s and was recognized by all as “America’s sweetheart.”
The fame of Julia Roberts, as is often the case, grew, and with it grew media interest in her personal life.
Very soon, she got together with an unglamorous country singer, Lyle Lovett, and in 1993 married him.
Regardless of how those around them felt about it, Roberts and Lovett seemed to be very much in love with each other, but unfortunately their marriage was short-lived.
As his sister was making a name for herself in Hollywood, far eclipsing his respectable but relatively modest fame, Eric Roberts was balancing his career with developments in his personal life.
In addition to his acting career, Roberts met and settled down with his girlfriend, Kelly Cunningham. In 1991, their daughter Emma Roberts was born.
However, over time, it became clear that the relationship between Eric Roberts and his girlfriend Kelly Cunningham did not work out. After the couple finally separated, a bitter custody battle over the future of their daughter Emma began.
He was shocked when Julia publicly sided with Cunningham, stating that she felt Emma would be better off living with her mother.
Feeling betrayed, Eric cut off all contact with his once-beloved sister.
It was clear from an early age that Emma Roberts, like her grandfather, grandmother, and parents before her, had a family talent and was destined to carry on the Roberts tradition, achieving fame and fortune among the bright lights of Hollywood.
Despite her mother’s fears, Emma Roberts firmly knew that she wanted to follow her father and aunt in the movie industry.
And so in 2001, at the tender age of 10, she made her movie debut in Ted Demme’s crime film “Blow”, playing the daughter of Johnny Depp’s character.
As Emma Roberts matured, it was time to transition from child and teen star to severe full-fledged adult actor.
She met that challenge, playing incredibly prestigious and well-received adult roles in 2008’s Lime Leaf, 2013’s Adult World, and We’re the Millers.
It must have been difficult for Eric Roberts when, after becoming a humble actor first, his sister later eclipsed his achievements and then his daughter.