The Los Angeles County coroner's office is investigating the sudden death of Julia Roberts' 37-year-old half-sister.
Lieutenant Larry Dietz says Nancy Motes was found dead in a Los Angeles home on Sunday while dog-sitting for a friend. Dietz says an autopsy has not been performed and there are no preliminary findings about how Motes died.
Motes is the younger sister of actors Julia and Eric Roberts.
People magazine reported the family released a statement that says Motes died of an "apparent drug overdose" but notes that no official cause of death has been determined. The statement describes the Roberts family as "shocked and devastated".
Roberts is nominated for an Academy Award for her role in August: Osage County at next month's Academy Awards
An after-hours phone message left for Roberts' publicist was not immediately returned.
Roberts' recently opened up about her family dynamic. The actress told British newspaper The Mirror she can relate to the characters in her new movie, which tells the story of a family brought together by crisis.
"There's nothing like making a movie like this to make you go home and appreciate what you have. I love to cook and I love to have all my family around the dinner table," she said.
"It's definitely a place for revelations and in some cases they can turn ugly, but for me it's a very happy space and a nourishing, beautiful place for a family to spend time together."
The 46-year-old star and her husband Daniel Moder are parents to twins Hazel and Phinnaeus and son Henry.
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