Eric Roberts Reflects on Parenting Journey with Daughter Emma Roberts in His Memoir; Read His Thoughts
Eric Roberts is reflecting upon his parenting style and details how he raised his daughter Emma Roberts. In his newly released memoir, the actor shared how he managed to be there for the Holidate actress in her younger days while also abandoning his then partner, Kelly Cunningham.
In the excerpts of the book, The Dark Knight actor mentioned, “I had abandoned Kelly when Emma was just seven months old.” He further stated, “We went through a lot, and Kelly saw me at my absolute worst—yet she stayed, for a time, though I’m sure she questioned whether or not she should. We both wanted a child—maybe I did more than she—but we both wanted to become parents.”
Moreover, the actor penned down his exact feelings about becoming a new father 33 years ago. He stated that he had a thrill of becoming a father at a young age. Roberts also wrote that the pregnancy part was exciting, and so was the time he first saw Emma.
However, further, the actor claimed that even though he was excited to be a part of the dad club, he believed that fatherhood wasn’t meant for him. Roberts shared in his memoir, “I loved my little daughter with the strength of Hercules, despite my own weaknesses.”
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He further stated, “However, I couldn’t handle the realities of an infant coming into my life, and I couldn’t handle being a parent! I’m still not a father figure. Emma, on the other hand, certainly knows what that role is—now grown up and a mom herself. She’s that person to her first child, Rhodes.”
Further in the book, Roberts mentioned that the reason behind not being able to be fully present as a father could be his drug addiction. He claimed that his biggest consequence of taking drugs was losing his daughter. The actor confessed that he was under heavy drug effects even at the time his daughter was born.
Moreover, the actor clarified the air over getting custody of his daughter at the time of separation from Kelly Cunningham and how the actress and his sister, Julia Roberts, helped him in winning the case. The Star 80 actor wrote, “The question has been begged, forever it seems, whether Julia and I had a giant falling out over custody of Emma. I’d like to clear the air about that, once and for all.”
He went on to add, “I never saw myself as someone who deserved to have physical custody of Emma, not in a million years. We both knew better than that. Kelly never claimed I was trying to get physical custody of Emma, so therefore, Julia never sided with Kelly in a custody fight. There really was no custody fight. I’m very happy to be straightening this out right now.”
Eric Roberts’ memoir, Runaway Train: Or the Story of My Life So Far, is available in the book stores for purchase.
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