This Is Why Martin Luther King Jr. Paid for the Hospital Bill When Julia Roberts Was Born

Julia Roberts revealed an interesting detail about her past in her latest interview with Gayle King.

The Pretty Woman star turned 55 this October 28, and marked the occasion by chatting with King about her accomplishments throughout the years, her marriage, the issues that are important to her, and her childhood.

During the talk, King asked Roberts about her little-known connection to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "Let's start with the day you were born, who paid for the hospital bill?" King asked. "Okay, her research is very good," Roberts said with a smile, pointing to King. The actress then confirmed that Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King, paid for Roberts's mother's hospital bill when she gave birth to Roberts.

"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 their kids. And my mom was like, 'Sure come on over.' So they just all became friends, and they helped us out of a jam," Roberts explained.

In the 1960s, King noted, it was not common for Black and white children to interact or even attend the same schools—especially acting schools.

Paying for Betty Lou Bredemus and Walter Grady Roberts's hospital bill, then, was a way in which King Jr. thanked them for their kindness.

"I think that's extraordinary, and it sort of lays the groundwork for who you are," King told Roberts.

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