Academy Award-winning actress Charlize Theron, who claimed the Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of real-life killer Aileen Wuornos in the 2003 film Monster, has opened up about her father’s death at the hands of her mother.
During a recorded podcast interview with The New York Times, released on Saturday, April 18, Charlize, 50, disclosed that prior to her mother fatally shooting her father on June 21, 1991, the Hollywood icon experienced his rage following a minor error.
“I just knew…that was kind of the straw that broke the camel’s back for him. I felt it, I felt something was different,” Charlize recalled regarding the event that preceded her inebriated father’s assault on her and her mother when she was 15-years-old. Prior to the interview, the actress criticized Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sánchez, who are honorary co-chairs at the upcoming Met Gala.
“I sat down with my mom and said, ‘I think you should separate from him.’ I never imagined that those words would come out of my mouth,” Charlize explained. “I knew he was mad at me. So eventually, when he decided to come home, I said to her, ‘Please tell him I’m asleep.'”
The South African-born star recounted that her father subsequently “broke into the house” and “shot through the steel doors to get into the house,” making it “very clear that he was going to kill them.”
Nevertheless, by the time Charlize’s father “broke into the first gate,” her mother had “run to the safe to get her gun.” Charlize went on to recount the terrifying ordeal that unfolded after her mother “came to her bedroom,” describing how the two of them were “holding the door” with “their bodies” because “there wasn’t a lock on the door,” reports the Mirror US.
Despite her father having “stepped back and started shooting through the door,” neither Charlize nor her mother was struck by a single bullet.
“My mom followed my father, who was, by then, opening the safe to get more weapons out, and she shot him,” Charlize recalled. “Unfortunately not an isolated story. These things are prevalent in a lot of families’ homes.”
No charges were brought against the actress’s mother following the shooting, which was ruled an act of self-defense.
A video clip of Charlize recounting the devastating incident to the New York Times was posted on a Reddit forum, where countless users expressed their sadness at her disclosure, recognizing it as a reality shared by many.
“I am genuinely in awe of how well and clearly she told her story, especially at the end when you can see the severity of what she and her mom experienced that night replay in her mind. I’m sending all my love to everyone who’s gone through similar experiences, as I know how terrifying and isolating abuse can be,” one user shared on the platform.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.the-express.com ’
