Eric Roberts and Emma Roberts: The Private Bond Hollywood Rarely Sees

Eric Roberts and Emma Roberts have the kind of father-daughter story you only get when both people are famous, candid, and a little allergic to keeping things tidy. He popped up on a podcast and gave the latest on where they stand, and it was more affectionate (and more blunt) than you might expect.

Where things are right now

On an April 2026 episode of the podcast Really Famous With Kara Mayer Robinson, Eric was asked if his relationship with Emma is complicated. His take:

"It’s only complicated through outside eyes because they don’t get any of it... I’m so proud of my kid. She didn’t start off as a great actor, but she became a great actor. She’s fabulous."

That is one of the more dad-core compliments I’ve heard in a while: a little bracing on the way in, entirely loving by the end.

How it started: the early years

Eric and his ex, Kelly Cunningham, welcomed Emma in 1991. In his 2024 memoir, Runaway Train: Or the Story of My Life So Far, he describes himself as emotionally wrecked around the time she was born. He writes that both he and Kelly wanted a baby (he even suggests he wanted it more), but the reality of new parenthood hit him hard.

The lowest point came fast: he says he left Kelly when Emma was seven months old. He also admits Kelly saw him at his absolute worst and still stuck around for a while, even if she probably questioned it. He makes it clear he loved Emma fiercely from day one, but he also says he could not handle the day-to-day of having an infant and, even now, he does not see himself as a traditional father figure. Emma, meanwhile, is now a parent herself to her son, Rhodes.

What he has said publicly over the years

Eric mostly tries to keep their relationship offline. One exception: a rare Instagram post for Emma’s birthday in February 2023, where he called her his precious daughter, said he always knew she would become everything and more, and told her he loved her.

In October 2024 on the podcast Inside of You, he called the toughest stretch of his life the period when he lost his relationship with his daughter. He framed it less as pain and more as a lasting sadness over what he believes are human, probably permanent misunderstandings.

Then, in July 2024 on Still Here Hollywood, he mentioned that both Emma and his sister Julia Roberts would prefer that he not talk about them in interviews. He admitted he tries to respect that... and sometimes slips.

So where do they stand?

From Eric’s side, he does not see the relationship as complicated so much as misunderstood by onlookers. He is openly proud of Emma’s career arc and, in classic Eric Roberts fashion, expresses it with a mix of honesty and warmth. The history is messy, the feelings are real, and the current headline seems to be: he is rooting for her, loudly.

Timeline at a glance

• 1991: Emma Roberts is born to Eric Roberts and Kelly Cunningham.
• 1992: Eric says he left Kelly when Emma was seven months old.
• February 2023: He posts a rare birthday message to Emma on Instagram, calling her his precious daughter and telling her he loves her.
• 2024: Eric publishes his memoir, Runaway Train: Or the Story of My Life So Far, detailing his struggles with early parenthood and saying he still does not see himself as a father figure; he notes Emma is now a mom to Rhodes.
• July 2024: On the podcast Still Here Hollywood, he says Emma and his sister Julia prefer he not talk about them, though he admits he sometimes does.
• October 2024: On Inside of You, he calls losing his relationship with Emma the hardest period of his life, marked by lingering misunderstandings.
• April 2026: On Really Famous With Kara Mayer Robinson, he pushes back on the idea their relationship is complicated and praises Emma’s growth as an actor: "She’s fabulous."