Charlize Theron is a strong woman who enjoys being in front of and behind the camera. The Oscar-winning actress is already making waves for her latest film, “Bombshell,” which tells a poignant story about sexual harassment. While the 44-year-old Hollywood star is known for portraying fearless characters and taking on boundary-pushing roles, she recalls that it hasn't always been this way.
Charlize Theron protected by mother
Charlize Theron recently shared that she's "not ashamed" to talk about the moment her mother shot and killed her father in self-defense. The actress was 15 when her alcoholic father shot through the door of the room where she was hiding with her mother.
“None of those bullets ever hit us, which is just a miracle. But in self-defense, she stopped the threat,” she told NPR. She added: "The more we talk about these things, the more we realize that we are not alone in any way."
Charlize grew up with her mother Gerda and father Charles on a farm near Johannesburg in South Africa. She described her father as a "very sick man" and said living with an alcoholic was a "pretty hopeless situation."
Speaking about the incident, Theron explains that her father came home after a long night of drinking and things took a turn for the worst.
“My dad was so drunk he couldn't even walk properly when he came into the house with a gun,” she said. “My mother and I were sitting in my bedroom leaning on the door because he was trying to get through the door. So we both leaned against the door from the inside so he couldn't get in. He took a step back and shot through the door three times. “
Against violence in the family
The Oscar winner has no problem telling her story if it means helping others.
“This family violence, this type of violence that occurs in the family, is something that I share with a lot of people. I'm not ashamed to talk about it because I think the more we talk about these things, the more we realize that we are not alone in any way," explains Charlize. "I think for me it's just always been that this story is really about growing up with addicts and what that means to a person."
As a mother of two children, the 44-year-old star feels blessed to have them in her life. However, as a single parent, she hopes to live in a world where there is less stigma.
“Everything I hoped for with my adoption happened because these two babies were supposed to be in my life,” she says. “And they are my children.”
"This concept of what a family looks like and what constitutes the 'right' family or a 'strong' family or what we think that should look like," she continues. "In a lot of places - and I think even in a lot of people and in America - it still feels very traditional, in the sense that every child should have a mother and a father."
“We've slowly gotten used to the idea of two moms and two dads, but not so much the idea of a single parent. It’s just so unfortunate,” she says. “I know so many people who would be incredible parents. My struggle was a little easier because of my circumstances, but I would want this for all women who want to share their life and be part of raising another young child. “
