Eric Roberts on his relationship with daughter Emma: 'It’s only complicated through outside eyes'

Eric Roberts opened up about his relationship with his daughter, Emma Roberts, during his appearance on the podcast "Really Famous with Kara Mayer Robinson" on Monday, April 6.

From the very beginning of the video podcast, host and mental health advisor Kara Mayer Robinson brought up Emma as the first topic.

She asked Eric about a story he had shared before, about holding Emma when she was born and singing to her. Eric recalled, “I sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to her mom’s belly every day from the time we found out she was pregnant until her water broke. She came out and she’s screaming, and I sang ‘Happy Birthday to you.’ She stopped screaming and tried to find my face with her little eyes.”

He called the moment “magic” and added, “It was the most complete I’ve ever had in my life. Something I did was recognized by a brand-new creature with my DNA. I’ll always have that moment… The most incredible thing I’ve ever been through.”

Eric, 69, described the first moments after her birth as a profound experience and admitted that parenting is “the hardest job to do.” When the conversation turned serious, he reassured Robinson that talking about his daughter didn’t bother him at all, adding, “I’m so proud of my daughter.”

Robinson broached the idea that their relationship might be complicated. He responded, “Not really. It’s only complicated through outside eyes.”

He explained that complications are mostly imagined by others who aren’t directly involved. “They don't get any of it. So they had their own take. And it's not a straight line, because they aren't really involved. So it's just thoughts, possibilities, interests, whatever it is. But it's not a real relationship with the subjects.” he said, adding that it doesn’t bother him.

Despite their difficult relationship, he even spoke warmly about Emma, saying, “I bring her up all day. I'm so proud of my kid. And she didn't start off as a great actor. But she became a great actor. She's fabulous.”

As the conversation went on, he acknowledged that emotions can be complex, but said it was not an issue he wanted to focus on during the interview. “It is what that is. But that's a whole other issue in my life. That's not what we're talking about today.”

Instead, he reflected on life more broadly. “As you get older, you realize nobody gets away with anything. So be as nice as you can so people feel they should be nice to you so you can have a pleasant situation. And I learned that from my wife.”

He even acknowledges his drug addiction in the past and how his behavior then put him in a bad place. "I was a wash rag. I was not be depended on emotionally whatsoever," he confessed. Eric then said that he now takes full responsibility on his past misdeeds.

Earlier, Entertainment Weekly reported that Eric had previously reflected on his relationship with Emma during a 2024 appearance on the "Inside of You" podcast, saying he gained a new perspective on his ‘sadness’ over the loss of a father-daughter connection in earlier years.

Eric has been married for many years to casting director and actress Eliza Roberts. He shares his daughter Emma with actress Kelly Cunningham. Eric is also the brother of actress Julia Roberts.