EXCLUSIVE: Julia Roberts' 'Horrific' Family Death Snub — With 'Pretty Woman' Star Mourning Her Dog Instead of Sister
Julia Roberts was accused of 'snubbing' her late half-sister.
May 30 2025, Published 4:57 p.m. ET
Julia Roberts has been accused of being more upset over the loss of her family pet than her late half-sister, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Roberts' family dog Myrtle passed away shortly before the birthday of her late half-sister Nancy Motes, who previously claimed she was "mercilessly" bullied by the Pretty Woman star.
Touching Tribute
Roberts mourned the loss of her family dog in a touching tribute post on May 16.
Just before Mother's Day, on May 16, Roberts took to Instagram and shared a photo of the 19-year-old pooch in a touching tribute.
She captioned the post, "Our Myrtle."
Sources said the actress, her husband Danny Moder and their three children – twins Hazel and Phinneaus, 20, and Henry, 17 – adored the pup.
But despite Myrtle's tribute overlapping with Motes' birthday, Roberts was shockingly silent when it came to remembering her late half-sister.
'Sociopathic Behavior'
The actress stayed silent on her half-sister's death anniversary on May 19.
Family members further claimed Roberts has been more heartbroken over the loss of her dog than she was over Motes' death.
Motes overdosed on prescription pills in 2014 and would have turned 49 on May 19.
Her grieving fiancé John Dilbeck said: "Me and my family are still devastated by the tragedy."
Dilbeck didn't hold back when reflecting on Roberts, saying: "The way Julie portrays herself as being a family person is fictional."
He added: "Nancy is just one person who got hurt in the wake of Julia Roberts' sociopathic behavior."
Motes' Suicide
Roberts' half-sister took her own life by overdosing on prescription drugs in 2014.
The feud between Motes and Roberts revealed the Runaway Bride star's ugly side, including how her alleged relentless taunting drove Motes to undergo bariatric surgery for weight loss in 2010, dropping from 300 to 150 pounds.
Motes was a former production assistant working on Glee and made ends meet by also picking up gigs as a pet sitter in Los Angeles.
Tragically, she died by drowning in her bathtub. She left behind a five-page suicide note in which she claimed her mother Betty Lou Bredemus and "so-called" siblings caused "the deepest depression I've ever been in."
Motes' Letter to Roberts
Roberts' half-sister called her 'plan rude' and 'mean' in a brutal letter before her suicide.
Six months before her suicide, Motes wrote a letter to Roberts after being barred from visiting her mother in the hospital.
Motes branded her half-sister "plain rude" and "mean" in her letter, adding: "I have truly felt bullied by you for about 20 years now. I will not be your punching bag any longer."
She further claimed Roberts' last words to her were: "I want you dead and gone!"
Dilbeck also accused Roberts of "gaslighting" Motes before she took her own life.
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He said: "When Nancy would plead for Julia to stop tormenting her, she would only reply, 'You can take it up with your therapist.'
"Nancy faced this constant threat of being cut off from her family."
Dilbeck said he's tried to "move on" but believes Roberts "needs help."
Motes' former fiancé said: "I've tried my best to move on – but my feelings haven't changed. Julia Roberts doesn't live in the same reality that other people live in.
"She doesn't seem to get any help, and she's enabled by a lot of people.
"Nancy's life was far more important than their family dog."
