By Jane Lewis | Wednesday, September 17, 2025 | 4 min read

Julia Roberts has shared a little-known but deeply touching story about her beginnings, one that ties her family to two of the most iconic figures in American history. The actress revealed that when she was born in 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King, stepped in to help her parents by paying the hospital bill.

The story came to light during a September conversation with Gayle King as part of the History Channel’s HISTORYTalks series. Sitting across from Roberts, Gayle asked about her family’s unexpected connection to the Kings, and Roberts didn’t hesitate. “The King family paid for my hospital bills,” she said simply.

With a smile, Gayle clarified the joke that was hanging in the air. “Not my family,” she quipped, since she shares the same last name as the civil rights leader. Roberts went on to explain that her parents, Walter and Betty Lou Roberts, had run a small acting school in Atlanta, the Actors and Writers Workshop. At a time when segregation still dictated so much of life in the South, the school welcomed students that many other places would not.

Coretta Scott King reached out to the Roberts family to ask if her children could take classes there, since opportunities for young Black students were severely limited. The Roberts family said yes, and from that moment a friendship began. That relationship, born out of openness and courage during a tense era, eventually led to the Kings stepping in to help the Roberts family when they faced a financial difficulty after Julia’s birth.

“They just all became friends,” Roberts said. “And they helped us out of a jam.”

Gayle King reflected on the meaning of that moment, noting how rare it was in the 1960s for white and Black children to learn and perform together. “In the ’60s you didn’t have little Black children interacting with little White kids in acting school,” she said. “Your parents said, ‘Come on in,’ and I think that’s extraordinary. It really laid the groundwork for who you are.”

Julia Roberts was born on October 28, 1967. She turned 55 just before this story resurfaced, and it struck many as a beautiful example of how kindness and solidarity can ripple across generations.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., of course, was not just a family friend in Atlanta — he was a national figure, leading a movement for civil rights through nonviolent resistance. He pushed America to face its history and to make good on its promise of equality. Just six months after Roberts’ birth, King was assassinated in Memphis on April 4, 1968, leaving the nation in mourning and his family to carry on his legacy.

This moment from Roberts’ life might have remained mostly private if not for a clip of the HISTORYTalks interview being shared widely online. Zara Rahim, a business adviser, tweeted the video to honor Roberts’ birthday, and the story quickly went viral.

Among those who responded was Bernice King, the youngest daughter of Martin and Coretta. She reposted the clip on Sunday, saying she was grateful that Roberts had chosen to share it with the world. “So many people have been awed by it,” Bernice wrote, adding that while she already knew the story well, it still moved her to hear it again. “It reminds me of my parents’ generosity and influence.”

The HISTORYTalks series, which began in 2019, is known for bringing together influential voices to share personal insights and untold stories. Past years have featured high-profile guests ranging from George and Laura Bush to George and Amal Clooney. Roberts’ heartfelt recollection of her family’s connection to the Kings is now among those memorable moments — a reminder that history is often made not just in marches and speeches but in small acts of compassion that carry through lifetimes.

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