Emma Roberts' father Eric Roberts opens up about his 'painful' past

Eric Roberts, a renowned actor and the father of Emma Roberts, recently shared his regret over his role as a father that his daughter needed.

In his new book Runaway Train: Or the Story of My Life So Far, the Dark Night star talked about his ‘tough” journey as a parent after he got divorced from Emma's mom, Kelly Cunningham, when Emma was just seven months old.

The 68-year-old actor wrote, “I had abandoned Kelly when Emma was just seven months old.”

Chronicling his journey of becoming father, Eric admitted that it was challenging yet exciting, as he said, "I was so excited when she was born. I loved Emma the moment I saw her." 

The Stalked by My Doctor actor also called to mind how singing "Happy Birthday" to baby Emma helped calm her down.

“When I started singing 'Happy Birthday' to her, she must have recognized my voice because she calmed right down."

Even though Eric admits that he loved his daughter deeply, his love could not resonate with the "duties" of a father Emma deserved. 

“I loved my little daughter with the strength of Hercules, despite my own weaknesses… I couldn’t handle being a parent," he confessed by saying. 

Moving forward, he expressed that now he sees Emma, 33, who is a mother herself, as the caring parent he couldn’t be. 

Eric blamed his drug addiction for his struggles, saying, “The biggest consequence of my drug use was losing Emma. I was still impossibly coked up when she was born, which explains everything.”

It is pertinent to mention that Emma and Eric have been distant ever since he lost custody of her.