Charlize Theron's Life in Photos

Theron, who grew up as an only child, is pictured here with her mother, Gerda, in their hometown. Theron’s father was killed by her mother in self-defense in 1991. “My father was so drunk that he shouldn’t have been able to walk when he came into the house with a gun,” Theron said in 2019 of what happened, via People. “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,” she said. “He took a step back and just shot through the door three times. None of the bullets ever hit us, which is just a miracle. But in self-defense, she ended the threat [to save us].” Theron added this was why no charges were brought against her mother.