All About Emma Roberts’s Actor Parents and A-List Aunt Julia Roberts

Bailey BujnosekWed, July 29, 2026 at 7:51 PM UTC

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Emma Roberts at the Disney 2026 Upfront on May 12, 2026 in NYC.Credit: Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty ImagesThe Gist -

Emma Roberts is the only child of Kelly Cunningham and actor Eric Roberts, though she has other siblings.

Her parents split shortly after she was born, and she was raised by her mother. Her father did not attend Emma’s July 2026 wedding.

Emma’s paternal aunt is Academy Award-winning actress Julia Roberts.

Emma Roberts seemed to have inherited her passion for acting from her parents, Eric Roberts and Kelly Cunningham—along with her superstar aunt, Julia Roberts.

The Scream Queens alum is the only child of the two performers, who welcomed Emma in 1991. They broke up shortly after her arrival, and Eric lost custody of her due to his struggles with addiction, he revealed in his 2024 memoir Runaway Train (excerpted in People).

Eric Roberts and Kelly Cunningham at the ‘We’re No Angels’ NYC premiere in December 1989.Credit: Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

The former Dancing with the Stars contestant did not attend Emma’s July 2026 wedding to fellow actor Cody John, telling Page Six exclusively, “I love my daughter, always have, always will. It is perfectly wonderful for her to celebrate however she wants, with whomever she wants.”

Emma’s wedding did bring about a reunion for other family members, including her A-list aunt, Julia Roberts (who’s Eric’s sister). The Pretty Woman star wore a polka-dot navy dress for the intimate Sun Valley, Idaho ceremony. Emma’s mom Kelly was also part of her wedding dress fitting, appearing in a Voguevideo feature about her Monique Lhuillier gown.

Here’s what to know about Emma Roberts’s family.

Kelly Cunningham

Emma Roberts and her mom, Kelly Cunningham, in a July 2026 selfie.Credit: @kellygrace1010

According to People, Cunningham was an actor like Eric when the couple began dating in 1988. They were photographed at various events, including the NYC premieres of Au revoir les enfants, We’re No Angels, and Great Balls of Fire! Cunningham was also Eric’s date at the 46th Annual Golden Globe Awards in 1989. She and Eric split in 1991, soon after welcoming Emma.

Emma Roberts and her mom, Kelly Cunningham, at the world premiere of ‘Grand Champion’ in 2004.Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Cunningham later welcomed another daughter, Grace Nickels, with musician Kelly Nickels. While they’re no longer a couple, Grace and Emma continue to be close, with Emma writing a sweet birthday tribute to her younger sister in 2024: “happy birthday to the best sister and auntie 🌟 the day you were born is my favorite day!”

While Cunningham keeps her personal life private, she and her daughter frequently praise one another on social media and share snaps of fun family moments. Cunningham is also a loving grandma to Emma’s son, Rhodes.

Kelly Cunningham with her daughter, Emma Roberts, in a 2023 selfie.Credit: @emmaroberts

“I’m so lucky my mom helps me a lot,” Emma told People in 2023, adding, “I would die without my mom.” She also once called Cunningham “my bestie” and “queen” in a birthday Instagram post. “Always answers the phone in the middle of the night. & nobody makes me laugh as hard as you do Mommy! 💘,” she wrote.

In the Vogue video about Emma’s final wedding dress fitting, Cunningham was emotional as she hugged her daughter. “Stunning, absolutely stunning,” the mother of the bride said.

Eric Roberts

Eric Roberts with daughter Emma Roberts at the Fantasyland Theatre in February 2004.Credit: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage

Emma’s father, Eric, is a prolific actor with over 700 credits to his name. His career began with a debut in 1974’s How to Survive a Marriage, per People, and he rose to wider acclaim for his Oscar-nominated performance in 1985’s Runaway Train. Today, he says he fields job offers on a regular basis.

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“I can get an offer on Friday to come on the Saturday. Often I get something on Friday, do all the homework over the weekend so I’m happy and [I] read to impress on Monday morning,” he said in a 2022 interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

Eric Roberts at the 26th Annual Beverly Hills Film Festival on April 13, 2026.Credit: Paul Archuleta/Getty Images

As for his personal life, Eric has been open about his struggles with substance abuse. “The biggest consequence of my drug use was losing [custody of] Emma,” he wrote in his memoir Runaway Train, per People. He added elsewhere in the book (via E!), “We were a nice little family for a while, but it didn’t last. I was in too much trouble.”

Although he doesn’t often talk publicly about his relationship with Emma today, he’s praised her work in past interviews. “I’m in love with my daughter’s work these days,” he said in a 2024 appearance on Steve Kmetko’s Still Here Hollywoodpodcast. “I can’t believe how great she’s become. I’m so proud of her I can’t see straight,” he added.

In the same interview, he noted that Emma and his sister Julia prefer him not to discuss them, telling host Kmetko, “I’m not supposed to talk about either of them. But I do.”

Eric has been married to his wife, Eliza Roberts, an actress and casting director, since 1992. “My wife is my hero,” he said in a 2020 Love, Drugs, and Hollywoodappearance. “She’s smarter than me and she’s as talented as me, and then some. She’s also better looking than me...And she taught me how to be a grown-up to some degree.”

Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts and niece Emma Roberts at the “Valentine’s Day” L.A. premiere on February 8, 2010.Credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage

Julia Roberts is one of Emma’s paternal aunts. Besides her brother Eric, Julia’s sister, Lisa Roberts Gillan, is also an actor and producer.

With an Oscar, multiple Golden Globe Awards, and a BAFTA Award, Julia is widely considered one of the last true movie stars. She helped set Emma on the path to becoming an actress herself—in a 2016 Allureprofile, Emma recalled hiding on the set of Erin Brokovich so she could stay longer. “I’d run and hide in (Julia’s) makeup trailer and hear, ‘Where’s Emma? It’s time for bed! She has to go home!’ I remember it feeling like summer camp, just the feeling of creativity.”

As for comparisons between the two, Emma has a balanced take on the pressure to live up to her aunt’s success. “I never aspired to be her,” she said in a 2022 Tatlercover story, adding, “I love her so much, I love her work, but I’m just doing my own thing.”

Although the two both appeared in 2010 ensemble rom-com Valentine’s Day, they have yet to share the screen together—but don’t rule out a collaboration just yet. “I would love to find the perfect project for me and my aunt, and I know that there will be something. But it’s never been the right thing,” the Space Cadet star told Variety in 2024.

More recently, Julia was present for Emma’s big day on July 25, 2026, stepping out in Sun Valley with husband Danny Moder and her three children to attend her niece’s wedding.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”