actor Charlize Theron has established herself as one of the most vocal supporters of laws against domestic violence around the world. In a recent interview, the Oscar winner revealed that this was due to the instability and violence she witnessed in her home growing up. Charlize reveals that things got to a point where her own father tried to kill her, after which her mother had to intervene and shot him in self-defense.
Charlize Theron remembers her father’s alcohol addiction
in an interview with the new York TimesCharlize talked about seeing violence around her while growing up in South Africa. He described his father’s battle with alcohol addiction. “He was completely drunk, but he had moments where he would disappear; we didn’t know where he was, and he would usually return in a state that was quite serious. It would be messy and loud, and my mom is also no wallflower. She wasn’t just going to sit back and take it. She made it known that she wasn’t happy with his lifestyle. So it really led to a lot of verbal abuse. Personally, for me, the worst thing was that they They disliked each other. There would be a big fight, and then they wouldn’t talk for three weeks, I had no brothers and sisters, and that house just went silent.
Charlize revealed that her mother first thought about divorce when she was around 12-13 years old. Things finally came to a head in 1991, when his father almost became violent towards him over a small issue, leading his mother to protect him.
‘He was going to kill us’
The actor recalled, “He shot through the steel doors to get inside, making it clear that he was going to kill us. His brother was also with him. We knew it was serious, and so by the time he broke the gate first, my mother ran to a safe place to get her gun. She came to my bedroom. We both held the door with our bodies because there was no lock on it. And he just stepped back and started shooting through the door. And that’s crazy: not a single bullet hit us. But the message was very clear. I went to the safe place and the brother was still standing there and shot him in the arm, which is something you can’t explain. They were there, and he shot them.
Charlize Theron’s life after shooting
Legally the shooting was ruled self-defense, and Charlize’s mother did not face any charges. The actor moved out of South Africa the following year to begin a modeling career in Europe, before moving to Hollywood in 1994. He found success with the 1997 release, The Devil’s Advocate, which also starred Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves. Charlize won an Oscar for Best Actress for her portrayal of serial killer Eileen Wuornos in the 2003 film Monster. She is currently awaiting the release of Christopher Nola’s The Odyssey.