Julia Roberts talks about Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King paying the hospital bill for her birth

– Your films collectively, when you think about this, gross more than most of your male counterparts, yet back then Julia was not played the same. So you called the studios out on that. You were the first actress to get the same salaries as Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks’ money. You were the first (audience applauding) thanks to Erin Brockovich. That was historic. And this is in Robert’s movies, the character’s name was Anna. And you were asked how much she makes and you responded in the movie with $15 million. And that was the amount you were paid for the film even though in the script it called for $10 million. And when you were asked, why did you say 15, you said “‘Cause I got tired of low-balling. I got tired of low-balling.” – [Julia] Yep. – So what was your mindset back then when you realized, hey, they’re making more than me, we’re doing the same job? Did you think I need to speak up about this? What were you thinking? – Well, it just seemed, I mean, I didn’t feel like so boxish about it, but I felt like, come on. I mean, which is sort of my nature anyway. Not to be, you know, all up in arms about something but just to say, “Come on, let’s, let’s get real. Let’s be fair.” Because I, you know, when I’m working I work very hard, I’m ready, I’m on time, I’m- – [Oprah] Prepared. I’m prepared, I’m happy, I’m all in. So show me the money. – [Oprah] Yeah. (Julia and Oprah laughing) (audience applauding)

Julia Roberts talks about Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King paying the hospital bill for her birth

Updated: 7:43 PM EDT Oct 31, 2022

A previously little-known fact about Julia Roberts is now more widely known, thanks to social media.It all started recently when a Twitter user shared a compilation video of Roberts, writing “Martin Luther King Jr. paying for her birth is still a little known fact that sends me.”A few days later, in honor of Roberts’ 55th birthday on Oct. 28, consultant Zara Rahim tweeted a clip of Roberts sharing the story about her birth with journalist Gayle King (no relation to Dr. King).Roberts explained that Dr. King and his wife, Coretta Scott King, took care of the hospital expenses since her parents couldn’t pay the bill.”My parents had a theater school in Atlanta called the Actors and Writers’ Workshop,” Roberts said. “And one day Coretta Scott King called my mother and asked if her kids could be part of the school because they were having a hard time finding a place that would accept her kids.”Roberts’ mother said sure and thus began the friendship between the civil rights leaders and Walter and Betty Lou Roberts.That led to the Kings paying for the birth of the woman who would go on to become an international star.”They helped us out of a jam,” Julia Roberts said.

A previously little-known fact about Julia Roberts is now more widely known, thanks to social media.

It all started recently when a Twitter user shared a compilation video of Roberts, writing “Martin Luther King Jr. paying for her birth is still a little known fact that sends me.”

A few days later, in honor of Roberts’ 55th birthday on Oct. 28, consultant Zara Rahim tweeted a clip of Roberts sharing the story about her birth with journalist Gayle King (no relation to Dr. King).

Roberts explained that Dr. King and his wife, Coretta Scott King, took care of the hospital expenses since her parents couldn’t pay the bill.

“My parents had a theater school in Atlanta called the Actors and Writers’ Workshop,” Roberts said. “And one day Coretta Scott King called my mother and asked if her kids could be part of the school because they were having a hard time finding a place that would accept her kids.”

Roberts’ mother said sure and thus began the friendship between the civil rights leaders and Walter and Betty Lou Roberts.

That led to the Kings paying for the birth of the woman who would go on to become an international star.

“They helped us out of a jam,” Julia Roberts said.