Eric Roberts has spoken about a significant strain in his relationship with his daughter, actress Emma Roberts, describing it as a "loss" years before he missed her recent wedding to Cody John.
In an October 2024 podcast appearance, Roberts was asked about the toughest time of his life. He responded, "Probably the loss of a relationship with my daughter." However, he clarified to listeners that the connection wasn't necessarily "painful" but rather a "sadness for the most likely misunderstandings we’ll all have forever because we’re human."
Roberts, 70, noted that becoming a grandfather brought this feeling into sharper focus. His eldest grandchild, who resembles Emma, has taken a liking to him, which he said "reminded" him of "what [he] didn’t have" with his own child.
Earlier in 2024, the Golden Globe nominee addressed his relationship with Emma, 35, on the podcast "Really Famous With Kara Myer Robinson." He clarified that they are not estranged, explaining that their relationship appears complicated only "through outside eyes... because they don’t get any of it."
During that April interview, Roberts confessed to being an unreliable father when Emma was growing up, admitting, "I was not to be depended on emotionally whatsoever," and taking "full responsibility" for it. He described himself as a "wash rag" and "car wreck" of a dad during that period.
He also recalled a tender moment from when Emma was a newborn, singing "Happy Birthday" to soothe her. He described it as "the most complete moment maybe I have ever had in my life" when she stopped crying and tried to find his face.
Roberts was not present at Emma's wedding to Cody John in Idaho. Photos of the event showed his sister, Julia Roberts, in attendance. "It is perfectly wonderful for [Emma] to celebrate however she wants, with whomever she wants," Eric Roberts told Page Six in a statement on Monday. He added, "I love my daughter, always have and always will."