- Charlize Theron's mother shot her father in self-defence when Charlize was 15
- Her father broke into their home armed and fired through a bedroom door
- Theron's mother retrieved a gun and shot her father to stop him from getting more weapons
The Odyssey actress Charlize Theron has shared one of the most personal and traumatic stories of her life, recalling the night her mother shot and killed her father in self-defence when the actress was 15 years old.
The Oscar-winning star spoke about the incident in a recent interview with The New York Times, giving a detailed account of the events that unfolded at her family home in South Africa.
'Something Was Different'
Theron recalled that she and her mother had gone to watch a film before returning home. However, they were unable to enter the house because her father had taken the key to the property's steel security door.
Explaining the atmosphere in South Africa at the time, she said, "I was 15 years old. My mom and I had gone to see a movie, and my dad had taken the key to the front steel door. Every room in our house had a steel door. So if you got into the front door, the kitchen had a steel door that you had to unlock, because that's the kind of violence that we were living in. Our country was on the brink of civil war."
Theron said that she and her mother then went to her uncle's house, where her father was drinking with relatives. What appeared to be a small incident soon escalated.
"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. Big thing in South Africa, the kind of respect that you have to have for elders. And he was in a state where he just spiraled. Like: 'Why didn't you stop? Who do you think you are?'"
After leaving, Theron sensed that something was wrong.
"We left, but you could just tell something was different. When we got home, I sat down with my mom and said, 'I think you're right. I think you should separate from him.' I had never imagined that those words would come out of my mouth. Leaving that house, I knew something was just different. She knew it, too."
Charlize Theron details the night her mother killed her father in self-defense after he tried to murder them when she was 15
— mercante (@merccante) July 21, 2026
"I was 15 years old and my mom and I had gone to see a movie"
"My dad had taken the key to the front steel door"
"He shot through the steel doors to get… https://t.co/m8YWX2fIJp pic.twitter.com/f86tK6YC7R
'I Was Scared'
The actress recalled feeling uneasy as she waited for her father to return home.
"I knew he was mad at me. So I said to her, 'When he eventually decides to come home, please tell him I'm asleep.' I went into my room, I turned my lights off, and I was scared."
She added, "My window faced the driveway, and I could tell the level of anger, frustration or unhappiness by the way he drove in. The way that he drove into that property that night, I can't explain it to you. I just knew something bad was going to happen."
The Night Turned Violent
Theron then described how her father allegedly forced his way into the house while armed.
"To get to the point: He finally broke into the house. He shot through the steel doors to get in, making it very clear that he was going to kill us. His brother was with him as well."
Realising the danger they were in, Theron's mother retrieved a firearm from a safe and joined her daughter in a bedroom.
"We knew it was serious, and so by the time he broke into the first gate, my mom ran to the safe to get her gun. She came into my bedroom. The two of us were holding the door with our bodies because there wasn't a lock on it."
Theron said her father began firing through the bedroom door.
"And he just stepped back and started shooting through the door. And this is the crazy thing: Not one bullet hit us. It's insane when you think about it that way. But the messaging was very clear."
Recalling her thoughts at the time, she continued, "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."
'She Shot Him'
According to Theron, her mother acted when her father moved towards the safe to retrieve more weapons.
"He walked to the safe, and my mom pulled the door open while the brother was still standing there. The brother ran down the hallway, and she shot one bullet down the hallway that ricocheted seven times and shot him in the hand. It's stuff you can't explain."
She concluded, "And then she followed my father, who was by then opening the safe to get more weapons out, and she shot him."
The incident took place in 1991 in South Africa. Authorities ruled that Theron's mother, Gerda Maritz, acted in self-defence, and no charges were filed against her.
About Charlize Theron's Work
Theron is currently being seen in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, in which she plays Calypso, the sea nymph who detains Odysseus during his long journey home. The film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus and features an ensemble cast that includes Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, and Lupita Nyong'o.
Also Read: Christopher Nolan Says "Just Buy A Ticket" As He Hints At A Horror Film After The Odyssey
