Charlize Theron Opens Up About Her Mother Killing Her Father
Critically acclaimed actress Charlize Theron recently opened up about a family tragedy, how her mother was compelled to shoot her alcoholic father out of self-defense.
Speaking to Howard Stern in "The Howard Stern Show" on Wednesday, supposedly to promote an upcoming film, the "Atomic Blonde," Theron described how she felt about the unfortunate turn of events for their family. According to her, she was afraid of people's judgment. She did not want to be seen as a victim. Thus, when asked about her father's death, she would often tell a different story.
"I just pretended like it didn't happen," she said. "I didn't tell anybody — I didn't want to tell anybody. Whenever anybody asked me, I said my dad died in a car accident. Who wants to tell that story? Nobody wants to tell that story."
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The Academy Award-winning actress admitted that it was not her father's death that bothered her. Until she started therapy in her late 20s, Theron faced recurring nightmares about what it was like living with such an unpredictable figure under the same roof.
Her mother, Gerda Aletta, on the other hand, never received therapy. Despite being thrust in that horrifying ordeal, she has remained resilient, and she event helped Theron cope. According to the actress, Aletta would tell her to acknowledge the event as horrible. And with that in mind, she would ask her own daughter, "Are you going to sink or are you going to swim?"
Theron grew up in Benoni, South Africa. Her father's shooting happened shortly after she returned home from boarding school.
The actress is currently promoting her action spy thriller film, "Atomic Blonde," which will be out in a few days. In the movie, she portrays a highly skilled lone agent named Lorraine Broughton who sets off on an impossible mission to retrieve a priceless dossier.
"Atomic Blonde" hits the big screen on July 28.
