Betty Lou Bredemus

Betty Lou Bredemus is popularly known as the mother of Oscar-winning actress Julia Roberts. Bredemus herself had a brief career as an actress. In addition to this, she was also an acting coach who taught Yolanda King and Corette King.

Born on August 13, 1934, in the United States as Wendell John Bredemus and Elizabeth Ellen Billingsly, Bredemus's life was full of ups and downs. Let's look at her life as we remember the late celebrity Betty Lou.

Betty Lou Bredemus Obituaary: Cause Of Death

Hollywood mourned as it lost yet another star on February 19, 2015. At the age of 80, Julia Robert's mother, Betty Lou Bredemus died from her long battle with lung cancer. She was in Los Angeles in her final moments.

It was difficult for Julia as her half-sister Nancy Motes had passed away just a year earlier. Motes died of a drug ovierdose. The funeral was held at New Smyrna Cemetery,

The small family-only meeting was held at Betty's grave. With a heavy heart, Julia bid farewell to her mother.  Robert's husband Danny Moder and son Henry were not present at Bredemus's funeral.

Betty Lou Bredemus Was Married Twice 

Julia Roberts's mother was single at the time of death. But during her lifetime, Betty Lou Bredemus walked down the aisle two times. 

Bredemus suffered from a financial crisis in both marriages. She even said that her marriage with her second husband was a huge mistake.

First Husband Walter Grady Roberts

Betty Lou Bredemus married Walter Grady Roberts in 1933. He had a brief career as an actor and playwright. They met during the performance of the play George Washington Slept Here for the Armed Forces.

Together Walter and Betty started giving acting lessons and attending seminars. Additionally, the former pair teamed up on a popular local children’s show Bum Bum and His Buddies. 

Walter and Betty were not economically sound. They were also in a financial crisis when Julia was born. It was reported that Coretta Scotta King, one of their student, volunteered to pay the hospital bill.

After the acting class was over, Bredemus filed for divorce in 1971 and it was finalized in 1972. Unfortunately, Betty Lou's first husband died of Throat Cancer in 1977.

Second Marriage With Michael Motes

Following her divorce from Walter, Betty Lou Bredemus did not stay single for long. Julia Roberts found solace in the arms of Michael Motes whom she married in 1972.

However, Bredemus regretted marrying Motes and said it was a huge mistake. Motes was abusive and an alcohol addict and often had raging arguments with Betty and the children.

That's why, Julia alongside her siblings feared and hated Michael. So, Betty Lou divorced her second spouse in 1983 citing cruel treatment. However, Motes has said that he is writing a book that tells the story from his side.

Surprisingly, Michael came out as gay and currently lives with his male partner. He volunteers as a minister at his local church.

Betty Lou Bredemus Net Worth At The Time Of Death

As mentioned earlier, Betty Lou Bredemus was not economically sound and often had a financial crisis. She was an acting enthusiast and appeared in 1936 short The Queen's Birthday.

But, Betty Lou's acting career did not blossom as much as her daughter's. Nevertheless, she was a great acting teacher and trained personalities like Yolanda King and Coretta Scott King.

At the time of death, Bredemus is estimated to have a net worth of $100k. Speaking of her daughter, Julia Roberts has a staggering net worth of $250 Million.

Here is a look at Julia's real estate portfolio:

Betty Lou Bredemus Is A Mother To Four 

Not only the American acting star Julia Roberts, but Betty Lou Bredemus is the mother of Eric Roberts, Lisa Roberts, and Nancy Motes. Nancy is Julia's step-sister from her mother's second marriage.

Bredemus has played the role of a mother quite well. Enduring all the hard times and abuse, she raised her children well. In fact, Eric, Lisa, and Julia are all famous now and are well-known personalities in the acting world.

Eric Roberts

Born on April 18, 1956, in Biloxi, Mississippi, Eric Roberts is an American actor. He is the eldest child of Betty Lou. He has appeared in many notable movies like The Dark Knight, The Expendables, Train Ran Away, and so on.

The American actor, Eric, is currently married to Eliza Roberts. He is the father of Emma Roberts from the live-in relationship with Kelly Cunningham. She is also into acting professionally.

Eric is still active in the entertainment industry. He has been able to amass a whopping net worth of $25 Million. 

Lisa Roberts 

Betty Lou Bredemus's daughter Lisa Roberts is an American actress. She was born on January 1, 1965, in Decatur, Georgia. Lisa is best recognized for her work Maid in Manhattan and Eat Pray Love.

Lisa is currently married to Tony Gillan. Besides acting, she is also an excellent producer. 

Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts is the famous daughter of Betty Lou. Born on October 28, 1967, in Smyrna, Georgia, Roberts is currently in her 50s in terms of age. 

After appearing in the romantic comedy Pretty Woman in 1990, Julia became a global sensation. She received lots of fame as well as movie contracts.

Today, the 5 ft 8 inches tall actress Roberts has 68 credits as an actress and 12 credits as a producer on her IMDb profile. Julia won a prestigious Oscar in 2001 for Best Leading Actress.

The Pretty Woman actress is married to cinematographer Daniel Moder, and they have three children together. Their children are twins Hazel and Phinnaeus born in 2004 and son Henry born in 2007.

How Was Betty Lou Bredemus Relationship With Nancy Motes?

Apparently, Nancy Motes did not have a good relationship with her mother Betty Lou Bredemus. She was not close with her half-siblings either.

Nancy's handwritten suicide note says,

“My mother and so-called ‘siblings’ get nothing except the memory that they are the ones that drove me into the deepest depression I’ve ever been in,"

Motes blamed her actor half-siblings including Julia Roberts for her drug problem. She died in 2014 due to drug overdose. At the time of her death, Nacy was engaged to John Dilbeck.

Fans were shocked when the Pretty Women actress said harsh eulogy regarding her half-sister's suicide. She said that Nancy was brave to save herself from pain and suffering by committing suicide.

Julia Roberts Still Remembers Her Mother Betty Lou Bredemus

Betty Lou Bredemus passed away almost a decade ago. But, the Oscar-winning actress Julia Roberts still remembers and misses her mother. 

On August 13, 2023, Roberts wished her mother Betty on the occasion of her birthday. She wrote," Happy Birthday gorgeous Betty".

 

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