Walter Grady Roberts

Walter Grady Roberts rose to fame as a celebrity father of Academy-Award winning actress Julia Roberts. He was a one-time actor and playwright. 

He was an acting teacher to Yolanda King, the daughter of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King.

Was married to an actress and acting coach

Walter was married to an actress and acting coach, Betty Lou Bredemus, whom he met while performing the play "George Washington Slept Here" for the armed force. They soon got along and became close friends. 

They came even close after they went on a couple of tours performing plays and married in 1955. Together they co-founded the Atlanta Actors and writers workshop, which became a huge success. 

Before that, they ran children acting school and created 15 episodes of Bum Bum and His Buddies, a children's show for the local network.

What led to their divorce?

The couple was having financial problems, and the workshop they co-founded slowly came to an end.  After nearly two decades of marital relationship, the couple decided to split. 

His wife filed for divorce in 1971, which was finalized in 1972. However, the reason behind their divorce is unknown. Betty took kids along with her and started living in Smyrna, Georgia. 

Julia was just five years old at the time of their divorce.

Theatre exposure at an early age led his children to follow acting career

Walter was the father to his three children. Though he passed away before seeing his children's brilliant careers, he certainly left an impact on his children to follow in his footsteps. 

His elder son Eric Roberts, born in 1956, is a popular American actor and has more than 596 credits(one of the few actors to have more than 500 credits). 

Likewise, his second child, daughter Lisa, born in 1965, is an actress and producer. Both of them are more famous as a brother and sister of leading Hollywood actress Julia, born in 1967.

His ex-wife remarried the same year of their divorce

His ex-wife Betty remarried Michael Motes the same year of their divorce in 1972. From their marriage, they gave birth to daughter Nancy who died of committing suicide at 37. 

Michael was an abusive husband and a step-father to his step-children, due to which Julia and her siblings had a terrible childhood. Betty divorced her abusive husband in 1983, citing cruelty.

Reason behind Eric's estrangement from Julia and their reconciliation

Eric and Julia used to share a strong bond, but their relationship was ruined after the ugly custody battle of Eric and his ex-girlfriend Kelly Cunningham for their daughter Emma Roberts. 

Eric got estranged from Julia after Julia took the side of Kelly in the custody battle. However, the siblings reconciled in 2004 when Eric was invited surprisingly for Julia's twins' birth.

Both Walter and Betty died following cancer battle

Walter and Betty died following the cancer battle though the year is different. Walter died of throat cancer at the age of 44. He died in the year 1977. While Betty died of lung cancer in 2015 at the age of 80. 

Though Julia could not spend much time with him, she still misses him around her kids Phinnaeus Moder,  Henry Daniel Moder and Hazel Moder. She feels ripped-off not having him to be a grandparent. 

After her mother's death, she was utterly devastated. According to her, her mother worked full-time to raise them without showing the strain of it.

Net Worth

Julia established herself as one of Hollywood's prolific actresses since her breakthrough role in the 1990's rom-com Pretty Woman. She has amassed an extravagant net income from her brilliant career. 

She has a net worth of :

Age 

• He was born on 25th December 1933.

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