Eric Roberts has described the loss of his relationship with daughter Emma Roberts as the toughest time of his life.
The actor and older brother of Hollywood superstar Julia Roberts, with whom he was also estranged for some time, reflected on his lack of relationship with his eldest daughter during an episode of a podcast this week.
Roberts, 68, shares Emma with former partner Kelly Cunningham but lost custody of her when she was a child and their relationship remains fractured to this day.
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Now, Roberts has reflected on their relationship during an appearance on the Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum podcast.
The comment came when host Rosenbaum asked Roberts what was the toughest time in his life.
“Probably the loss of relationship with my daughter,” he said.
When asked if it was covered in his new memoir, which will be released later this year, Roberts said it was, but not in a big way because the loss was “indefinable.”
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“There’s a sadness for the… misunderstandings we will have forever because we’re human,” Roberts said.
“And I started accepting that about myself with the birth of my grandchildren.”
Roberts is the grandfather of Emma’s son Rhodes, who will be four in December.
He also has grandchildren from his marriage to wife of 32 years, Eliza Garrett, who had two children from a previous relationship when they married.
He said his bond with their eldest grandchild in particular reminded him of what he had missed out on with Emma.
“Especially the five-year-old. She was first and she was a girl and so very vulnerable to me and took a liking to me at two, two-and-a-half, in a very strong way… and we are all very close,” he said.
“And she also looks like Emma, same colouring. So it reminds me of what we didn’t have, so that might be the most painful personally.”
During the podcast, Roberts also opened up about his earlier battles with anxiety and depression.
Roberts has previously admitted to drug use before he lost custody of Emma.
It was Julia Roberts’ decision to side with Cunningham over her brother that fractured their relationship, however, the two later reconciled.
Roberts is set to lift the lid on his relationship with this sister and estranged daughter in his upcoming memoir, which will be released in December.
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