Julia Roberts is speaking out for the first time since the February death of her half-sister, Nancy Motes.
In an interview conducted March 1 with the Wall Street Journal Magazine, the 46-year-old star of "August: Osage County" said she was heartbroken after learning about her sister's death. People reported that Moss died from a possible drug overdose, at the age of 37.
"It's just heartbreaking," she told WSJ, tearing up. "It's only been 20 days. There aren't words to explain what any of us have been through in these last 20 days. It's hour by hour some days, but you just keep looking ahead."
The actress continued: "You don't want anything bad to happen to anyone, but there are so many tragic, painful, inexplicable things in the world. But (as with) any situation of challenge and despair, we must find a way, as a family. It's so hard to formulate a sentence about it outside the weepy huddle of my family."
Several reports stated the Oscar winner's half-sister left a suicide note that made references to the troubles within her family. Before her death, Moss, who worked as a production assistant on "Glee," had written disparaging tweets about Roberts on Twitter. Moss also added that she felt abandoned by her family.
"So my 'sister' said with all of her friends & fans she doesn't need anymore love. Just so you all know 'America's Sweetheart' is a b-," Motes wrote in a Jan. 19 tweet, according to the New York Daily News.
A second tweet on Jan. 19 tweet read: "Do you want to be a fan of someone so cruel? She's not even that good of an actress. Happy you totally F- with me?"
Roberts also mentioned the downside to stardom and added candid details about her personal life with husband Daniel Moder, her son Henry, 6, and twins Hazel and Phinnaeus, 9.
"By the time we had kids, I had accomplished things and felt secure about that part of my life," she said. "I was so joyful moving into the family phase of my life in a sincere way."
Roberts added: "I don't consider myself a celebrity, [at least not] how it is fostered in our culture today. I don't know if I'm old and slow, but there seems to be a frenzy to it... I think there is a dehumanization that goes with fame, especially in the present culture of it, which isn't the culture I started off in. There wasn't this analysis of every iota of every moment of every day - it's become this sort of sport."
The Academy Award-winning actress spoke to the magazine as part of her promotion for upcoming HBO movie, "The Normal Heart."
