Julia Roberts’ Scandalous Family Tree Blew Her Mind Upon Learning She Is Not A ‘Roberts’

Jan 18, 2023 by apost team

Julia Roberts has been one of the top leading ladies in Hollywood since she starred in the 1990 film "Pretty Woman," which is still one of the roles she is most remembered for. The star has received numerous accolades for her acting, including an Academy Award and three Golden Globes. 

She has since become one of the most popular Hollywood actresses of all time. She won an Academy Award in 2000 for her role in "Erin Brockovich." Some of her other popular films include "Notting Hill," "My Best Friend's Wedding" and "Ocean's Eleven." 

Julia is also known for being extremely beautiful — having been voted the most beautiful woman in the world five times by People magazine — and kind-hearted, helping her earn even more adoration from fans and critics alike.

Unbeknownst to many, Julia has two other famous relatives in the entertainment industry – her niece and brother. Julia’s older brother, Eric Roberts, has an expansive filmography of over 700 acting credits – a mixture of blockbusters, independent films, TV series and others. His daughter, Emma Roberts, is widely known by younger audiences because of her iconic roles in the horror and thriller genres. She is famously known for her roles in “Scream Queens,” “American Horror Story,” “We’re The Millers,” “The Blackcoat's Daughter” and "Nerve." 

While the Roberts bloodline is still strong in Hollywood, Julia was surprised when she found out through a DNA test that she wasn’t actually a “Roberts” after all, revealing a generations-old secret. Read on to learn more about how tracing Julia’s bloodline and genealogy alters a part of her.

Born on Oct. 28, 1967, in Georgia, Julia grew up wanting to become a veterinarian. However, her plans changed as she grew a bit older, and she decided to move to New York City to pursue acting. There, she signed up with a modeling agency and began taking acting classes. 

The daughter of one-time actors and playwrights, Julia grew up in the world of the performing arts. Her parents owned an acting school in Georgia, where they taught many students, including the children of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King was so grateful for the lessons that he paid for the hospital bills when Roberts was born. 

Roberts has not spoken out much about her childhood, but According to Irish Mirror, she did say: "I have very strong opinions about things, and I have a young (half) sister who is a product of my mother's second marriage, and out of respect for her and my mom, I don't think it's really fair." Roberts' half-sister, Nancy Motes, passed away from an apparent drug overdose in 2014.

Julia’s family line was revisited on Jan. 12, 2023, in an episode of PBS’ “Finding Your Roots” with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. 

After rigorous research, it turns out that Julia’s great-great-grandfather Willis Roberts died a decade earlier than she initially thought, which meant that her great grandfather John Roberts, isn’t actually a descendant of Willis, but of another person. 

To know more about her genealogy, Julia, her father Walter, and one of her cousins agreed to take a DNA test for further testing. After checking into a public DNA library, the show found out that it matched a certain Henry McDonald Mitchell Jr. 

"You're Julia Mitchell. You are not a Roberts, biologically,” Gates revealed, prompting Julia to let out a big laugh. 

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As per Gates’ further research analysis, the same census and paper trail that was looked into corroborated the findings and indicated that Mitchell only lived a few miles away from her great-great-grandmother Rhoda Suttle’s house, and he had a family of his own with six children. 

"On the one hand, I — truly — my mind is blown. And it is fascinating. And on the other hand, there's part of me that, when I'm calmer, can still wrap my arms around the idea that my family is my family. And I do prefer the name Roberts!" she emotionally told Gates. 

Describing the new revelations as a “very unexpected turn,” Julia was also illuminated by the fact that Mitchell Jr., her biological great-great-grandfather, disappeared in the late 1800s on the paper trail; and that her roots can be traced back to 18th-century colonial Virginia. 

Meanwhile, fans of the iconic actress have shared her sentiments and said they felt her emotions during the revelation. 

“I feel for Julia here, finding out this kind of information while you're being filmed. I worked on my family genealogy for 10 years, couldn't get any further back in my father's line because both of his grandfathers were illegitimate, so I got a DNA test done. Found out he wasn't really MY father and I'd grown up with the wrong name just like Julia. It's fascinating to find out, but devastating at the same time. But it does make you realize "family" has nothing to do with your DNA,” a fan commented. 

“Best wishes to Julia on her journey for more answers to questions that I'm sure that she now has. ..Good luck Julia! You are one of my favorite actresses, whether you are a Roberts or a Mitchell!” another posted. 

Finding out about your family tree can be really interesting. Are you a Julia Roberts fan? Do you agree that family shouldn't only be based on blood relations? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends and other loved ones!