Meet Emma Roberts’ mum Kelly Cunningham, who the American Horror Story star would ‘die without’: Eric Roberts’ ex overshares about her daughter’s private life on social media but the pair remain close

Oct 25 , 2024

Struggling with addiction, Eric abandoned the family when Emma was 7 months old; the mother-daughter duo have stayed close over the years, though Kelly confirmed Emma’s pregnancy before she was ready

Hollywood actor Eric Roberts – the brother of Julia Roberts – is opening up about losing his relationship with his daughter, American Horror Story actress Emma Roberts. On a recent episode of the Inside of You podcast, The Dark Knight actor confessed that losing Emma represented the “toughest time” in his life, a chapter he elaborates on in his memoir, Runaway Train: Or, the Story of My Life So Far.

Eric Roberts posted this throwback photo for his daughter Emma Roberts’ birthday last year. Photo: @ericrobertsactor

“I had abandoned Kelly [Cunningham, Emma’s mother] when Emma was just seven months old,” Roberts writes in his memoir, admitting that he “couldn’t handle the realities of an infant coming into my life, and I couldn’t handle being a parent!” The actor previously revealed that his daughter “told [him] not to talk about her” but shared in his book that she gave him permission to interact with her on social media. He has also spoken about her in several interviews, saying he is proud of her.

Emma Roberts, who is herself mother to her son Rhodes, may not be on the best terms with her dad but she is extremely close with her mum. So what else do we know about Kelly Cunningham?

She was with Eric Roberts for over three years

Emma Roberts was raised by her single mother Kelly Cunningham, Eric Roberts’ ex. Photo: @kellygrace1010/Instagram

Eric Roberts began dating Kelly Cunningham in 1988 – they never married – and the couple welcomed daughter Emma in 1991 while Roberts was struggling with drug addiction. Just seven months after she was born, her parents split; Roberts married actress Eliza Garrett a year later. Cunningham later married bassist Kelly Nickels, with whom she welcomed her second daughter, Grace Nickels. The couple have since divorced.

She’s Emma Roberts’ biggest inspiration

In May, Emma Roberts marked Mother’s Day with a childhood photo with her mum Kelly Cunningham. Photo: @emmaroberts/Instagram

Roberts never misses a chance to gush over her mum. “I would die without my mom,” she once said in an interview with People, adding that she feels lucky to have her help with raising her son. The Scream Queens actress also told the publication that she could “kiss the ground [her mother] walks on” after having her own child. Roberts often dedicates tributes to Rhodes’ “mims” on her Instagram and Cunningham does the same for her daughters.