Originally published on E! Online

Eric Roberts talks openly about his family’s complicated history.

The Runaway train alumnus opened up about how his long-term battle with cocaine addiction affected his relationship with his 33-year-old daughter Emma Robertswhich he shares with ex Kelly Cunningham.

After Eric, who married his wife Eliza Roberts in 1992 – divorced from Kelly when Emma was a baby, he lost the subsequent custody battle, writing in his new memoir Runaway Train: Or the story of my life so far, per People“The biggest consequence of my drug use was of course the loss of Emma.”

And to make the court’s ruling even more difficult at the time, the 68-year-old recalled his estranged sister Julia Roberts Taking Kim’s side in the lawsuit because of his struggle with addiction. In fact, he credited her decision to side with Kelly for further disrupting their complicated relationship, though he now admits that the Beautiful woman star made the right choice.

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“I think I will be Julia’s brother and Emma Roberts’ father for the rest of my life,” he continued. “I want to live up to that, to step aside with pride and grace. That’s one of the reasons for writing this book.”

And while Eric – who got sober in 1995 after spending 18 months in court-ordered rehab – admitted that his relationship with his daughter had faced its share of challenges, Dancing with the stars The contestant couldn’t be prouder of Emma’s acting achievements, which include starring roles in shows Scream queens And American horror storyas well as in movies We are the Millers, Mrs Web And Holiday.

“I am in love with my daughter’s work these days,” Eric said during a July appearance at the Still here Hollywood podcast. “I can’t believe how amazing she turned out. I’m so proud of her I can’t see straight.”

And Emma? She hasn’t spoken publicly about the state of her relationship with her father, but she has previously opened up about how her strong bond with her aunt Julia led her to a career in Hollywood. It all started when the Oscar winner took her to the set of her 2000 film Erin Brokovich.

“When night fell, I ran and hid in her makeup trailer and heard, ‘Where’s Emma? It’s time to go to sleep! She’s got to go home!'” Emma recalled in a 2016 interview with To tempt“I remember it feeling like summer camp, just the feeling of creativity.”

For free and confidential help for people with mental health disorders and/or substance abuse, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).