In a new and very candid interview with NPR, the Bombshell star recounted the moment she saw her mother Gerda fatally shoot her father Charles in 1991 when she was just 15 years old. Theron explained that her alcoholic dad was a “very sick man” and that her family was in a “pretty hopeless situation.”

“My father was so drunk that he shouldn’t have been able to walk when he came into the house with a gun,” she recalled. “My mom and I were in my bedroom leaning against the door because he was trying to push through the door. So both of us were leaning against the door from the inside to have him not be able to push through.”

“He took a step back and just shot through the door three times,” she continued. “None of those bullets ever hit us, which is just a miracle. But in self-defense, she ended the threat.”

No charges were brought against Gerda and Theron admitted she has no problem talking about the incident if it means helping over families struggling with the same issues.

“This family violence, this kind of violence that happens within the family, is something that I share with a lot of people,” she said. “I’m not ashamed to talk about it, because I do think that the more we talk about these things, the more we realize we are not alone in any of it. I think, for me, it’s just always been that this story is about growing up with addicts and what that does to a person.”

Charlize Theron has shared painful memories of her past, when her mother, Gerda, had to kill her father, Charles Theron, to protect her family from violence. This happened when Charlize was only 15 years old, and it had a profound impact on her life.

Charlize’s mother had to use force to stop her father’s violent attacks on both mother and daughter. Although this was an extremely painful decision, according to Charlize, Gerda only acted to protect her and her daughter’s lives. This incident caused her family to face a lot of pain and loss, but Charlize always respected her mother’s decision because she saved her life and protected her family.

Charlize Theron has recounted this story many times in interviews and in her autobiography. She also shared that although it was a painful memory, it also helped her grow and understand more about the importance of safety and self-protection in life.

Charlize Theron’s story is not only a story about family but also a lesson about resilience and strength in the face of violence and loss.