Why Wasn't Emma Roberts' Dad At Her Wedding?

After numerous high-profile relationships, Emma Roberts finally found the one in Cody John, marrying the actor in July 2026. The ceremony was filled with A-list guests like Kristen Stewart, Demi Moore and even Emma's famous aunt Julia Roberts. But there was one noticeable absentee: Emma's father, Eric Roberts.

Following the event, Eric said in a statement to Page Six, "I love my daughter, always have, always will. It is perfectly wonderful for her to celebrate however she wants, with whomever she wants." It doesn't directly explain why Eric would miss his daughter's wedding, but it also highlights where Eric and Emma's relationship is at. It's been public knowledge for years that Emma and Eric have a strained relationship.

The source of the celebrity family feud appears to be Eric's failure as a father when Emma was growing up. Eric and Emma's mother, Kelly Cunningham, split soon after Emma's birth, and she has always lived with her mother. He wrote (via Entertainment Weekly) in his 2024 memoir, "Runaway Train: Or the Story of My Life So Far," about her early childhood, "The biggest consequence of my drug use was losing Emma. I was still impossibly coked up when she was born, which explains everything."

While the "Scream Queens" star has often praised her mother, Emma Roberts has said little about her father over the years. In 2022, she summed up their relationship in one sentence when asked if they are "close" during a cover story for Tatler: "No, we're not." In 2024, Eric Roberts even told the Still Here Hollywood podcast that Emma Roberts and his sister Julia Roberts have both barred him from bringing them up in interviews.

But that hasn't stopped the Oscar-nominated actor from talking about both stars over the years. In his 2024 memoir, "Runaway Train: Or the Story of My Life So Far," Roberts said he wasn't ready to be a father when Emma was born. "I'm still not a father figure," he wrote. Eric also shut down rumors that there was ever a feud with his sister over Julia supporting Emma being in Kelly Cunningham's custody.

When promoting the book, he said on the Inside of You podcast that he realized his regrets after meeting one of his grandchildren from his stepchildren, who he didn't name. "She was first, and she was a girl, so very vulnerable to me, and took a liking to me at two, two-and-a-half, in a very strong way," he said. "And she also looks like Emma. Same coloring. And so it reminds me of what I didn't have." Regardless of how close they are, Eric is constantly singing Emma's praises and clearly wants to make amends.