Who are Julia Roberts’ parents? All about her family as actress reveals Martin Luther King Jr. paid hospital bill for her birth

American actress Julia Roberts revealed that Martin Luther King Jr.'s family paid the hospital bill when she was born.

While speaking to Gayle King for the History Channel show, HISTORYTalks, the 55-year-old actress revealed that her parents were familiar with the Kings and the late Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King, helped them when they could not afford to pay the hospital bill for her birth.

Roberts revealed that her parents, Walter Grady Roberts and Betty Lou Bredemus, used to run a theater in Atlanta called the Actors and Writers Workshop and a children's acting school, where Dr. King Jr.’s children attended classes.

“One day Coretta called my mother and asked if her kids could be part of the school because they were having a hard time finding a place that would accept her kids. My mom was like, ‘Sure, come on over,’ and so they all just became friends, and they helped us out of a jam.”

A member of the Ku Klux Klan blew up a car outside one of Betty and Walter Roberts' performances in protest of King Jr.'s daughter Yolanda being selected for a role that required her to kiss a white actor, according to prior reports.

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Julia Roberts' parents separated in 1972

Julia Roberts was born on October 28, 1967, to Walter Grady Roberts and Betty Lou Bredemus in Smyrna, Georgia. As mentioned above, her parents resided in Atlanta and co-founded the Actors and Writers Workshop.

The Notting Hill actress also has two siblings, Eric Roberts (66) and Lisa Roberts Gillan (57). Her parents separated in 1972, and Julia spent most of her childhood with her mother. She attended schools such as Fitzhugh Lee Elementary School, Griffin Middle School, and Campbell High School.

Her mother Betty then went onto marry Michael Motes. The duo had a daughter, Nancy Motes, Julia Roberts' half-sister, who passed away in 2014 due to a drug overdose.

Both of Julia Roberts' siblings are actors. Eric, the eldest in the clan, is a well-established actor who is best known for his role as Buck in Akira Kurosawa's 1985 film, Runaway Train. He is also the father of actress Emma Roberts.

Julia's sister, Lisa, is an actress and producer. She is best known for her small role in Eat Pray Love, as the woman in the play.

Julia Roberts began her acting career in 1987 with the television series, Crime Story, as Tracy. Before that, she worked as a model with the Click Modeling Agency.

She later went onto appear in several movies like Satisfaction, Steel Magnolias, Pretty Woman, The Pelican Brief, Something to Talk About, My Best Friend's Wedding, Stepmom, Erin Brockovich, Ocean's Eleven, and Valentine's Day, among others.