Julia Roberts’ brother Eric, 69, makes rare red carpet appearance… after he apologized to his sister in poignant memoir

Eric Roberts looked in good health on Tuesday evening at the Hollywood premiere of his new movie Clika.

The 69-year-old actor had on a black blazer over a shark and key T-shirt, gray jeans and black sneakers with a fresh Malibu tan and glasses as he smiled at the crowd at the TLC Chinese Theatre.

Roberts, the brother of movie icon Julia Roberts of Pretty Women and Erin Brockovich fame, looked much younger than his years.

Clika, which comes out on Friday, is about a small-town musician who seeks success in the Mexican-American music scene after his performance video goes viral. 

Roberts’ costars are Alison Chace, Master P, Peter Greene, and Vivian Lamolli. 

Chace looked chic in a white blazer with a black lace top, tailored slacks and a fedora.

The brunette beauty is best known for her work on the TV series FBI, Law & Order and Elsbeth after she got her start as a model for Marie Claire magazine.

Chace spent years in New York City theater before moving into TV and movies. 

Also seen at the premiere was Laura Lopez in a beaded gray gown, Danny Trejo in black and blue with a long DT necklace, Victoria La Mala who looked fetching in a pale blue gown with white heels and a pearl-encrusted clutch purse and Cristian Concrete in a three-piece suit with bowtie and hat.

In 2024, Roberts made a public apology to his superstar sister Julia after he previously took credit for her success in Hollywood.

The actor chose to speak up in his poignant memoir, Runaway Train: Or, the Story of My Life So Far, in which he also recalled how his decision to falsely claim their mother had died was the ‘great undoing’ of their relationship.

It comes years after Eric took credit for the successful career of his sister, 57, and also his daughter, Scream Queens star Emma Roberts, 34.

‘If it wasn’t for me, there would be no Julia Roberts and no Emma Roberts as celebrities, as actresses, and I’m very proud of that,’ he told Vanity Fair in 2018.

‘When Julia first came to New York, I went into William Morris and I said, “Which one of you is going to sign my sister Julia?”‘

He added: ‘And I am so proud that everybody knows I was first, because I was first by a long shot. I was first to get Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations, so I’m proud of that.’

Admitting his error in the memoir, The Dark Knight star wrote: ‘One of the things I’d like to apologize for in this book is for publicly saying on more than one occasion, “If it wasn’t for me, there would be no Julia Roberts.”

‘That’s not only unfortunate, but it’s also untrue. And I hope Julie will accept this more public apology. It was an asinine thing to have said…’ 

Eric’s candid memoir covers his arrival in Tinseltown at the age of 17, his extensive career and his struggle with substance abuse disorder.

The Dancing With the Stars contestant also discusses his complicated relationship with Julia, explaining how some of his public actions pushed them apart.

One instance the star owned up to was the fact he would claim that their mother, Betty Lou Bredemus, was dead during the early years of his career.

The Star 80 actor explained that he made the claim as a way to get back at his mother, due to the fact he was ‘still angry’ at her after their parent’s split.

Betty Lou and Walter Grady Roberts were one-time actors and playwrights who got married in 1955. 

However, Eric’s mother filed for divorce in 1971 and it was finalized in early 1972.

Reflecting on the impact of his words in the memoir, Eric wrote: ‘I’m only now beginning to realize the impact it must have had to Julie and Lisa, who were 11 and 13 years old, who were living with our mom but hearing their big brother… saying in public that their mom is dead.

‘It was the great undoing of my relationship with my sisters. That I was unconcerned about them and focused only on my mom reading that I’d killed her off was such a selfish thing to have done.’

Indeed, the King of the Gypsies actor touched on his complex relationship with his mother who he claimed physically punished him during her mood swings when he was a child.

He wrote: ‘Beatings had become a constant in my life. I never remember not being aware of Mom’s moods, and whenever she and Daddy had an argument, I knew she’d be coming for me. 

‘The pecking order when: Mom and Daddy fought, then I got my a** kicked. IN fact, my earliest memories are of Mom pulling my hair.’

Eric and Julia’s mother died in February 2015, while their father had died decades earlier in December 1977. 

The actor and his sister had always been close until he made a sarcastic comment in the early 1990s while discussing the success of her classic film, Pretty Woman.

The Runaway Train star has always insisted that it was taken out of context, a sentiment that he reiterated in 2022 on the Behind The Velvet Rope with David Yontef podcast.

‘Julia and I have always been fine,’ he said. ‘I think years and years ago, I was doing a press tour for some movie… It was just when Pretty Woman just got released and so they’re asking a bunch of questions about Julia. And I said, “Hey, excuse me. Can we talk about me?”‘

The Suits alum explained that his comment was misinterpreted as he added: ‘Of course, then it’s like, “Oh, they have a problem.”‘ 

While the siblings ‘don’t agree about a lot of things,’ the actor insisted that they still have a close bond. 

‘I love knowing my sister,’ he said. ‘She’s a cool chick, my sister. I just stay out of her hair with the press. That’s all. Simple. And she stays out of mine.’ 

Eric claims the only thing that ever caused a rift with his sisters Julia and Lisa was his past drug addiction.

He told Vanity Fair previously: ‘I wouldn’t characterize it as a falling-out. I was crazy about my sisters. Loved them, adored them. They were precious to me, and we had times of great closeness.

‘We all felt very protective of each other, but the hardest person to protect yourself from is yourself.’

The actor continued: ‘I was exhausting to be around: complainy, blamey, unable to enjoy enjoyment. Everyone in my world needed a break sometimes, and that must have included Julia.’

However, he explained that after years of estrangement, the siblings reunited in 2004 when Julia welcomed Hazel and Phinnaeus.

Eric said that he visited the hospital after his younger sister gave birth ‘to drop off gifts.’ He added: ‘Instead I was ushered into their room and was immediately awash in brotherly and uncle-ly love.’

The performer went on to say that after that visit, they spent several Thanksgivings together and became ’email buddies.’

In May 2020, he spoke fondly about how much he loved to see the bond between Julia and his daughter Emma. He told Us Weekly: ‘It’s really cool to look at them. I love seeing them together.’

Runaway Train: Or, the Story of My Life So Far was released in September 2024.