Julia Roberts Says Martin Luther King Jr. Paid The Hospital Bill When She Was Born

Back in 1967, Julia’s family found themselves in a bind when they couldn’t afford the hospital bill for her birth.

When their friends, the King family, heard about the situation, they stepped in and offered to pay the bill on the behalf of the Roberts family.

Julia recently explained the family’s friendship all began when Coretta Scott King reached out about her children attending the acting school that Julia’s parents ran.

“My parents had a theater school in Atlanta called the Actors and Writers Workshop, 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,” Julia shared during a HISTORYTalks interview.

She continued, “And my mom is like, ‘Sure come on over.’ And so they just all became friends.”

During a time when segregation was still prevalent, it appears that the kindness of Julia’s parents left a lasting impression.

And when the King family later financially covered Julia’s hospital bill, she says it really helped her parents “out of a jam.”

Julia didn’t mention whether she still keeps in touch with the family but Martin and Coretta’s daughter Bernice did share she was “grateful” that Julia shared the story.

“Grateful that #JuliaRoberts shared this story with @GayleKing and that so many people have been awed by it. I know the story well, but it is moving for me to be reminded of my parents’ generosity and influence,” Bernice wrote on Twitter.