Charlize Theron opens up about father being killed by her mother
Charlize Theron opens up about father being killed by her mother
Edward Segarra, USA TODAY Thu, April 23, 2026 at 5:23 PM UTC
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Charlize Theron is getting candid on a dark chapter from her childhood.
The Oscar-winning actress, whose father was killed in her teen years during a domestic dispute, opened up about the experience in an interview with The New York Times Magazine published April 18.
Theron, a native of South Africa, was born to road builders Gerda Maritz and Charles Theron. One night when she was 15, Theron said she got into an argument with her father after a misunderstanding while visiting her uncle's home.
"I had to pee really badly. So, I ran into the house to get to the toilet, and he took that as me being rude, because I didn't stop and say hello to everybody," Theron told the magazine, noting that her father had been drinking heavily.
"He was in a state where he just spiraled. Like: 'Why didn't you stop? Who do you think you are?'" Theron, who was accompanied by her mother, recalled. "We left, but you could just tell something was different."
Charlize Theron attends Netflix's "Apex" premiere at The Paris Theatre in New York City on April 22, 2026.
The "Apex" star said her father became violent when he returned to their house, shooting through the family home's steel doors. In response, Theron's mother grabbed her firearm and hid with Theron inside her bedroom. Theron said her father then began shooting through her door after the mother-daughter pair tried to block his entry.
"The messaging was very clear: 'I'm going to kill you tonight. You think I can't come into this door? Watch me. I'm going to go to the safe. I'm going to get the shotgun,'" Theron said.
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After the initial round of shooting, Theron said her mother followed her father to the family's safe, where he allegedly planned to obtain more weapons. In self-defense, Theron's mother shot the man.
"Unfortunately, this is not an isolated story," Theron said. "These things are prevalent in a lot of homes. Women really get a very, very unfair shake, even in this country [the United States]. Nobody takes it seriously, the situation that they're in. And I don't think anybody took my mom seriously."
Charlize Theron, right, and mother Gerda Maritz attend the 92nd annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020.
Theron added that her mother's resilience was instrumental in her healing journey.
"The next morning, she sent me to school. She was just like, 'We're going to move on,'" Theron said. "Not necessarily the healthiest thing, but it worked for us. She wanted me to forget about it. She didn't want me to sit in it."
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Although she used to feel "a lot of shame" about the incident, Theron said raising awareness about domestic abuse is important.
"I think these things should be talked about because it makes other people not feel alone," Theron said. "I never knew about a story like that. When this happened to us, I thought we were the only people. I'm not haunted by this stuff anymore."
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Charlize Theron details domestic incident of mother killing father
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
