They may not have known it at the time — they were newborns after all — but Julia Roberts' twins, Hazel and Phinnaeus, inadvertently helped their mom repair her relationship with her estranged brother Eric Roberts.
The actor, 68, is ten years older than his movie star younger sister, and was the first of the two to enter the entertainment industry; he now has over 700 film credits to his name.
And though he credits himself as having been one of her biggest supporters and advocates when it was her time to make her film debut — starring as his on-screen sister in 1989's — the two became estranged for over ten years shortly after.
In 1991, shortly after welcoming his daughter Emma Roberts, Eric was battling not only with alcohol and drug addiction, but was in the midst of a bitter custody battle with Emma's mom, Kelly Cunningham.
At the time, it was reported that Julia, who by Eric's own admission had already grown distant from him because of his addiction, helped Kelly through the legal battle and in getting a custody lawyer, further straining the siblings' relationship.
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Eric, speaking about it with Vanity Fair in 2018, shared: "I wouldn't characterize it as a falling-out," before maintaining: "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."
Still, recalling the height of his drug addiction, he admitted: "I was exhausting to be around," noting he was "complainy, blamey, unable to enjoy enjoyment."
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He added: "Everyone in my world needed a break sometimes, and that must have included Julia."
It wasn't until ten years later in November 2004, when Julia welcomed her twins with husband Danny Moder, that Eric's visit to the hospital with his wife Eliza Garrett, who he married in 1992, turned into more of an olive branch than he ever expected.
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Recalling how he went to the hospital simply to drop off gifts, he revealed: "Instead I was ushered into their room and was immediately awash in brotherly and uncle-ly love." He also shared that they have since enjoyed several family holidays together, and are now "email buddies."
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However, don't expect him to talk much more about his sister. During an appearance on July 8 on the Still Here Hollywood podcast, when asked how Julia is doing, he shared: "I love my sister, but I can't talk about her," adding: "And also my daughter told me not to talk about her, but I stumble and do. I'm not supposed to talk about either of them. But I do."
He did make an exception to gush over Emma, who has herself been acting since she was ten years old. Saying he is "in love with my daughter's work these days," and that he "can't believe how great she's become," he shared: "I'm so proud of her I can't see straight. Since her performance in Maybe I Do until right now, she overwhelms me with pride and just, 'Oh my God, here she goes again.' And I'm just so happy to be her dad because she's kicking a**. And I'm so proud."
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