Eric Roberts has described himself as a "wash rag" when his daughter Emma Roberts was born.

The Runaway Train actor, 69, has opened up about his relationship with the 35-year-old American Horror Story star - who he has with ex Kelly Cunningham - and admitted he wasn't dependable during her early years.

Appearing on Really Famous with Kara Mayer Robinson, he admitted: "I was a wash rag. I was not to be depended on emotionally whatsoever."

However, he dismissed the idea of any bad blood between them, and argued their relationship only seems "complicated" to people who don't know them.

He said: "It's only complicated through outside eyes, because they don't get any of it. So, they have their own take, whatever that is."

Although the pair have struggled over the years, Eric insisted his life changed the moment Emma was born.

He recalled her "screaming her head off" until he sang Happy Birthday to her, which he also sang during Kelly's pregnancy.

He added: "She stopped screaming and tried to find my face with her little blind eyes.

"It was the most complete moment maybe I have ever had in my life. That something I did was recognised by a brand-new creature who had my DNA.

"Oh my god. And there she was, and she already knew me. She tried to find me. It was magic. And I'll always have that."

Back in 2024, Eric admitted the "toughest" time in his life was losing his relationship Emma.

The Dark Knight star lost custody of his daughter amid his battle with drug addiction when she was just a baby but has been clean since 1995.

Eric - who has two grandchildren from his stepchildren, while Emma has five-year-old son Rhodes - admitted becoming a grandfather made him realise just how much he has lost out on with his own daughter.

Asked on the Inside of You podcast what the hardest part of his life has been, he replied: "Probably the loss of relationship with my daughter

"There's not a pain, there's a sadness for the, most likely, misunderstandings we'll all have forever. Because we're human."