The wedding took place on July 25. It was held at a home in Idaho. Emma Roberts married Cody John. It was an intimate affair. Eric Roberts did not attend. He was not among the guests. But don’t think he was angry.
He spoke out immediately. Eric Roberts told Page Six he has nothing but love for his daughter. “I love my daughter, always have, always, will,” he said. The King of the Gypsies actor stressed that Emma is celebrating however she wants. With whomever she wants. He called the news “perfectly wonderful.”
The story behind his absence is complicated. Emma’s parents, Eric and Kelly Cunningham, were involved when she was born in 1991. They were not together then, and they are certainly not together now. Their relationship has been fraught for decades.
Eric has been open about his failures as a father. In April, on the podcast Really Famous With Kara Mayer Robinson, he called himself a “car wreck” when she was born. He admitted he was “not to be depended on emotionally.” Depression and addiction played huge roles. They left him unstable. He couldn’t provide the stability she needed.
His relationship with Emma is “not a straight line,” Eric said. But he is proud. He believes she evolved from a kid who didn’t start as a great actor into someone who is fabulous today. “She became a great actor,” he said. It’s a rare moment of pure validation from a parent with a turbulent history.
He wrote about this in his 2024 book, Runaway Train: Or the Story of My Life So Far. He described loving his “little daughter with the strength of Hercules,” despite his own weaknesses. But he couldn’t handle an infant. He couldn’t handle parenthood. He admitted he still isn’t a father figure.
So, why is he in Idaho then? Or close to it? To support her. Not at the altar. Not in the guest list. But present enough to claim that pride publicly.
Emma walked down the aisle herself? No. Her son walked her there. Rhodes. Five years old. He shares her with ex Garrett Hedlund. That moment—son escorting mother—was the center of the ceremony. It stood in stark contrast to her own father’s absence in the room.
Emma wore a custom, vintage-inspired dress by Monique Lhuillier. Cody John looked sharp in a classic black tux. The guests were notable. Ashley Benson and her husband Brandon Davis were there. Demi Moore attended. Kristen Stewart brought partner Dylan Meyer. Sarah Paulson and Billie Lourd also showed up.
It was a wedding filled with high-profile friends and family who remained. Eric stayed on the periphery. Perhaps out of respect. Perhaps out of habit. The love is there, he insists. The presence is what’s missing. And maybe, just maybe, that’s enough for now.
