He had the smoldering eyes, the dangerous charm, and the kind of talent that made him one of Hollywood’s most magnetic stars of the ’80s.

But behind the fame, red carpets, and flashing cameras, one heartbreaking decision has followed him all his life

Because before he became an Oscar-nominated actor… he was a young father who walked away from his baby girl — when she was just seven months old.

Born in Biloxi, Mississippi, in 1956, Eric Roberts rose to fame as one of the most promising leading men of his generation.

After earning raves on Broadway for Burn This, he quickly exploded onto the movie scene, earning Golden Globe nominations for King of the Gypsies, Star 80, and Runaway Train.

Abandoned her when she was 7 months old

“I had abandoned Kelly when Emma was just seven months old,” he once admitted, referring to his ex-partner Kelly Cunningham and their infant daughter.

At the time, Roberts was deep in his struggles with drug use. The relationship collapsed, and Kelly won full custody of Emma.

”I couldn’t handle the realities of an infant coming into my life, and I couldn’t handle being a parent,” he reflected in his 2024 memoir Runaway Train.

Even worse – Eric’s world-famous sister, Julia Roberts, sided with Kelly in court.

Many have seen it as Julia Roberts betraying her brother and stabbing him in the back. But according to Eric, that wasn’t the case at all.