Emma Roberts' Most Controversial Moments

Emma Roberts, a prominent name in the entertainment business, has won over audiences' hearts with her remarkable acting prowess. While her relationship with her aunt, Julia Roberts, may have opened doors for Emma, it's her unwavering dedication to the craft that truly cements her enduring Hollywood presence.

Her acting versatility shines brightly, whether she's delivering razor-sharp wit as Chanel Oberlin in "Scream Queens" or delving into intricately layered characters in independent films like "In a Relationship" and "The Art of Getting By." Not confined to the realm of somber movies, Emma gracefully stepped into lighter-themed scenarios, leading in "Maybe I Do" alongside Richard Gere and Diane Keaton, showcasing her adaptability.

Yet, over the course of her stunning transformation, Roberts has been involved in her fair share of controversial moments, sparking some serious online backlash. From a domestic violence arrest to being called out for a transphobic comment, the star keeps inadvertently revealing her less-than-innocent side.

Emma Roberts and Evan Peters were once constantly in the media spotlight due to their tumultuous on-and-off relationship. They met on set while filming "Adult World" in 2012 but didn't start dating until a later date, as revealed by Roberts during her appearance on E!'s "Chelsea Lately." The famous couple made their relationship debut in January 2013.

However, the relationship took a dark turn rather swiftly. In July 2013, Roberts was arrested for domestic violence after an alleged altercation with Peters. TMZ reported that their heated argument led to their hotel neighbors in Montreal calling the police. When law enforcement arrived at the scene, they found Peters with a bloody nose and a bite mark, while Roberts had no visible injuries, leading to her being taken into custody.

Subsequently, reps for the actors issued a statement to Us Weekly, saying, "It was an unfortunate incident and misunderstanding." Roberts was released after questioning, and the pair expressed their commitment to working through the situation together. No charges were ultimately filed, and the two remained together off and on until 2019. 

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

One of Emma Roberts' most controversial incidents is the rumor that she played a role in causing a rift between fellow actor Hayden Christensen and his then-girlfriend, "The O.C." star Rachel Bilson. Roberts and Christensen co-starred in the 2018 film "Little Italy," at which point Christensen was in a decade-long relationship with Bilson, with whom he also shares a daughter named Briar Rose.

According to The Blast, Bilson reportedly discovered text messages exchanged between her boyfriend and Roberts, which led her to believe that the on-screen romance had spilled over into their real lives. While the exact contents of the messages were not disclosed, they were allegedly significant enough for Bilson to decide to end her relationship with the father of her child. An unnamed source later informed Us Weekly that Bilson and Christensen had indeed called it quits for good.

Roberts chose not to publicly address the matter, and the entire incident remained relatively low-profile. Another anonymous individual close to Bilson and Christensen told People that the couple had been experiencing difficulties before Roberts entered the picture. 

Emma Roberts found herself embroiled in yet another controversy, this time involving allegations from Angelica Ross, a transgender actor and fellow colleague from the "American Horror Story" series. According to Ross, Roberts made a transphobic comment while the two were on set of "AHS." Ross shared her experience in an Instagram Live session in September 2023. In the video, she reenacted the scene, stating that Roberts intentionally misgendered her. The two were talking when director John J. Gray reportedly interrupted with, "OK, ladies, that's enough. Let's get back to work." Allegedly, Roberts responded to Gray by saying, "Don't you mean lady?" insinuating that there was only one woman present. Roberts then walked away, leaving Ross feeling confused and upset.

After going public with the humiliating experience, Roberts reached out to Ross and apologized. The exact words of Roberts' apology were not disclosed, but Ross expressed her gratitude on X, formerly known as Twitter, thanking Roberts for acknowledging her inappropriate behavior. Ross also added, "I will leave the line open to follow up on your desire to do better and support social justice causes with your platform."

Despite these developments, as of this writing, Roberts has remained silent about the incident and has not issued a public apology to the transgender community. Furthermore, she has not outlined any specific action or plan to demonstrate her promised support for social justice causes.

Setting aside all other controversial moments, it appears that Emma Roberts is frequently perceived as rude. According to various Reddit users, Roberts didn't exhibit her best behavior during their encounters with her. One user, who worked as a server, mentioned that she consistently displayed rudeness for days on end. Another individual provided details about Roberts' conduct on a film set, alleging that she threw trash at people and made derogatory remarks when fellow actors made mistakes with their lines. Others also chimed in, claiming that she is "a nightmare to work with."

One of the instances where Roberts' bad manners were seemingly captured on camera occurred when she had a close encounter with the security personnel of former President Bill Clinton. In a video captured by photographer Elder Ordonez, Roberts can be seen exiting a bookstore in New York, with Clinton in the background. As Roberts attempts to navigate past one of the ex-president's security guards, she appears to quietly utter, "Get out of the way." Because of the quiet tone, it's unclear whether Roberts was simply informing Clinton's security that she was moving aside or if she was actually instructing them to clear her path, but many in the comments interpreted her behavior as entitled. 

Emma Roberts faced another dose of public bashing when she opted to promote cow's milk in March 2023. In the caption of the video posted to her Instagram, Roberts referred to herself as "a lifelong milk drinker," citing the beverage as having "essential nutrients that many milk alternatives don't have." Many viewed this endorsement as an instance of exploiting animals already subjected to suffering for the sake of the milk Roberts promoted.

In response to the backlash, Roberts disabled comments on the controversial post, but not before the Internet came for her. According to the Mirror, one user commented, "Emma done sold her soul to big dairy." Another person took it a step further, saying, "No mention of the environmental impact or consideration for mother cows who have their babies torn away from them. Stop supporting industries built on exploitation and suffering." Roberts refrained from addressing the criticism, as was expected, instead moving on to post an unrelated photo just a few days later.