In Eric Roberts’ memoir “Runaway Train,” it will not only be about his career but also about the complicated relationship with his sister Julia Roberts. Julia Roberts, 56, may have to brace herself for private revelations. Her brother, actor Eric Roberts, 67, is set to release his memoir “Runaway Train” in September 2024. The US magazine “People” already has access to the cover and initial information.
According to reports, the memoir will not only cover his extensive career, spanning over 700 productions for film and television, which began in 1978 with his breakthrough film “King of the Gypsies” and earned him an Oscar nomination for “Runaway Train.”
Eric will also address the challenging relationships with his sister Julia Roberts and his equally successful actress daughter, Emma Roberts, 32. The extent of the details he will delve into is not clear from the initial press release available to “People,” but it could be contentious.
Eric Roberts’ substance abuse divided the Roberts family. He openly discusses his history of drug use, even documenting his detoxification in the fourth season of the American reality TV show “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” in 2010. He attributes his addiction to the complicated relationships with Julia Roberts and his daughter Emma.
“It was difficult to be around me,” Roberts confessed in a 2018 “Vanity Fair” interview. The years-long battle with addiction created a rift between him and his family.
Julia needed a break from her brother. “I wouldn’t call it a falling-out. I was crazy about my sisters. I loved them, worshipped them,” emphasized Eric Roberts, but he also admitted: “Everyone in my world needed a break sometimes, and that probably included Julia.”
As a result, the siblings have not appeared together in public for decades. One of their very rare appearances was at the premiere party for “Runaway Train” in early December 1985—just a few years before Julia Roberts’ worldwide breakthrough with “Pretty Woman.” Julia maintains a close relationship with sister Lisa Roberts, 59, producing her 2023 film “Leave the World Behind.”
Eric Roberts has not been publicly seen with his daughter Emma for several years. In 2010, Emma posed with her famous aunt. Additionally, persistent rumors in the media suggested a feud between Eric and Julia Roberts. The actor vehemently denied this in 2022, attributing it to a misunderstanding stemming from an awkward interview that fueled the rumors.
“I was on a press tour when ‘Pretty Woman’ came out,” said Roberts. “Julia and I have always gotten along well,” he assured in the 2022 podcast “Behind the Velvet Rope with David Yontef.” Whether this remains the case after the release of his memoir remains to be seen. “Runaway Train” will be available in stores from September 17, 2024.