- The Oscar-winning actress and her ailing mother Betty Lou flew from Los Angeles to Smyrna, Georgia to attend the ceremony for half-sister Nancy Motes
- Nancy died of a drug overdose last February, and in a five-page letter that was termed a suicide note, talked about her tortured relationship with her superstar sister
- Julia delivered an unexpected heartfelt speech about Nancy during the hour and 20 minute cemetery service attended by close friends and family
- Criticized for not speaking out about her sister's untimely death, Julia finally broke her silence last month and revealed, 'It's so hard to formulate a sentence about it outside the weepy huddle of my family'
- The actress 'made time for everyone' at the service as she warmly hug! ged and comforted old friends she hadn't seen in years
By Will Payne In Smyrna, Georgia
Heartbroken Julia Roberts returned to her hometown on Saturday for an emotional memorial service to honor her tragic sister Nancy Motes – seen in MailOnline's exclusive pictures.
The movie superstar traveled in from LA with her mother Betty Lou to pay her respects at the small gathering of family and friends in a remote and idyllic cemetery in Smyrna, Georgia.
And in a truly touching moment, Julia addressed the assembled guests to give an emotional tribute to her dead sister.
Touching goodbye: Julia Roberts wept as she paid tribute to her half-sister Nancy Motes at a memorial service held in the family's hometown of Smyrna, Georgia, MailOnline can reveal exclusively
Holding back the tears: Julia got emotional as she stood outside the church
Nancy's ashes were buried in a local ceremony on Saturday attended by a small group of relatives and friends including mom Betty Lou
A comforting hand: Julia was very supportive of her ailing mom Betty Lou at the memorial for Nancy, who died at age 37 of an apparent drug overdose last February
Tortured: Nancy Motes lived in the shadow of his superstar sister for much of her life. Struggling with her weight and self-image, Nancy talked about Julia in an interview before her untimely death: 'When I was in high school and she was an adult, she would just let me know that I was definitely overweight. She would make it quite clear to me and in a not so nice manner'
'No one was really expecting it, but Julia gave a little speech at one point during the ceremony,' a source told MailOnline.
'She kept it brief, but it was absolutely heartfelt and very moving. It showed just how much Nancy meant to her and was really fitting.'
Roberts has been hit with harsh criticism since Nancy died from a drug overdose in February, but on Saturday, she showed her true feelings by attending the hour and twenty minute service in the blazing Georgia heat.
With the rest of the mourners already assembled, the Oscar winner pulled up in a white SUV with her mom, her sister Lisa and a driver.
Wearing a black dress, a beige cardigan, beige handbag and black over-sized sungl! asses, she jumped out of the car and tightly hugged friends and family.
Staying covered: Julia wore a blush pink coat and shielded her eyes with sunglasses as she chatted with fellow mourners
Comfort: Julia hugged a gentleman following the service
Unexpected: Julia addressed the assembled guests to give an emotional tribute to Nancy. 'No one was really expecting it," said one source. And after the ceremony was over, she made time for everyone
After greeting all of the other guests, she made her way down to the shaded burial area, covered with a green tent, helping her elderly mother, 79, who is battling cancer. Brother Eric Roberts was not spotted at the ceremony.
The devastated pair then took their position at the front of the congregation.
After the ceremony, Julia, 46, was one of the last to leave the New Symrna Cemetery, staying back to casually chat with old friends who she hadn't seen in years.
'Julia was great from start to finish,' the source said. 'She may be a huge movie star, but she was with people she has known her whole life and had no airs and graces.
'She made time for everyone and we were all incredibly happy that she came. She rea! lly added to the occasion.'
Julia embraced and comforted a number of other mourners, before getting back into the SUV and heading to a nearby hotel for a low key wake, where she also said a few words.
Hugs & tears: The actress embraced friends and family and then headed off to a local hotel for a reception for the gathering who had come to pay their last respects to Nancy
Nancy's burial in Symrna is extremely poignant, as she spent her childhood in the small city, north-west of Atlanta with mother Betty Lou, father Michael, Julia and her half-siblings Eric and Lisa.
Her remains were laid to rest on a family plot next to two relatives. The spot where her ashes were buried was bought for $500. There was no church service on Saturday as, according to friends, Nancy was not a religious woman.
Another person who did not seem to be in attendance was Nancy's father, Michael, who split from her mother Betty and is now in a long term relationship with a man.
He has been shunned by the entire family; after accusations surfaced that he was abusive to Julia and her siblings throughout their childhood.
Nancy, a former production assistant, was discovered by paramedics on the bathroom floor of an LA house Sunday, February 9 and pronounced dead at 2.12 p.m. Suicide was suspected after it was learned that she died of a drug overdose. She was just 37-years-old.
Just days before her death she tweeted that 'America's Sweetheart is a 'B*tch.'
Since then, Pretty Woman star Julia has been hit with a barrage of criticism. She skipped her sister's the public service led by Nancy's heartbroken fiancé John Dilbeck, on March 8, in Santa Monica, California.
MIA: Julia consoles a family friend after the hour and 20 minute service held in the blazing Georgia heat. Nancy's half-brother Eric Roberts was not spotted at the memorial. Nor was Nancy's father, Michael, who split from her mother Betty and is now in a long term relationship with a man
Julia initially stayed quiet following her half-sister's death, but she broke her silence last month.
Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, she said: 'It's just heartbreaking. 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.
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'
But despite Julia's obvious affection for her sister, Nancy reportedly left a five-page suicide note blaming the actress for ! her final spiral into despair.
In an interview given prior to her death, Nancy said Julia made her feel embarrassed and ashamed of her weight, which peaked at 280 pounds. She resorted to a $35,000 gastric bypass operation last year.
'It makes me feel incredibly hurt and very sad,' Motes said. 'When you're in a family of very, very exceptionally beautiful people it's intimidating.
Prayers: Julia walked arm in arm with her mother Betty Lou as they were blessed at a Los Angeles church in April. There was no church service for Nancy, as friends say she was not very religious
'I think that growing up as Pretty Woman's little sister has definitely made me try to see the person inside and not the person outside,' she added. 'A lot of my life I felt judged for my weight.'
Motes, who described herself as an 'awkward' child who was bullied at school, said she could not compete with the success of her 'very pretty and very popular' sister.
She added: 'When I was in high school and she was an adult, she would just let me know that I was definitely overweight. She would make it quite clear to me and in a not so nice manner.
'Julia did not want to see me go down that path [of acting] … So I just got a lot of criticism from Julia, which was very discouraging for me.'
In a further shot at her sister, she p! osted a string of upsetting Tweets in the days leading up to her death.
'So my 'sister' said that with all her friends & fans she doesn't need any more love. Just so you all know 'America's Sweetheart' is a B----!!' " she tweeted Jan. 20, referring to Roberts' star turn in the 2001 rom-com "America's Sweethearts."
'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?' she added in a subsequent message.
"(M)y own family has abandoned me," Motes tweeted Jan. 22.
Down to earth: 'Julia was great from start to finish,' the friend said. 'She may be a huge movie star, but she was with people she has known her whole life and had no airs and graces'
The angry missives were apparently still visible the day after her death but had disappeared by early Tuesday.
And in a further upsetting twist, Radar Online claims to have seen texts that are alleged to have been sent from Julia to Nancy regarding their mother's treatment for breast cancer in the past few months.
The messages - which have not been verified as authentic - form part of a forthcoming documentary pieced together from Motes' video diaries.
The film, entitled, Now That I Have Your Attention, has yet to be released and the clip containing the text information has been pulled down by Robert's lawyer.
Alleged to have been sent in early November 2013 by Roberts, one message to Nancy said if she planned to see their moth! er in the next two weeks she should go in the next hour.
A reply followed, saying: 'We're heading to see her now. Thanks,' to which the only response was a request for Betty to be gone by 3:30.
Another - sent a week later – told Betty that she would get a text when their mother's surgery would be scheduled.
Motes wrote back: 'Mom asked me to come to the hospital. I'm coming.'
Julia's reported reply was that Betty was asleep and she was only allowed one person to come to visit her.
Final trip: Nancy was found dead with prescription and 'illegal drugs' near her and left behind a five-page letter describing her difficult relationship with Julia. She was cremated in Los Angeles after her death and her ashes were sent to Smyrna
RIP: When the guests departed the cemetery, they left behind a prayerful statue and flower arrangements marking the site where Nancy's ashes are buried
Nancy was only 13 when Roberts shot to Hollywood fame as hooker Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman.
After graduating from high school in 1995, Nancy auditioned for roles in Hollywood while working as a waitress. But she could not afford to continue so returned to Georgia.
Three years ago she moved back to Los Angeles, after meeting her fiancé John Dilbeck. But she claimed Roberts started taunting her about her weight again days after she arrived.
With her weight soaring, she finally decided to have the gastric bypass operation.
Motes said she could not afford the $35,000 fee, but rather than ask Roberts, who is worth $150 million for financial help, she took out a loan. She had lost 98 pounds since the operation last June and had pl! anned to get married in May.
However, RadarOnline reported last year that Julia planned to boycott the nuptials because she didn't like the groom and didn't want to get stuck paying for the wedding.
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