Charlize Theron recounts father’s death in South Africa, saying she is 'not haunted'

Charlize Theron has revisited the events surrounding her father’s death in 1991, explaining in a recent interview why she continues to speak publicly about the incident and how it has affected her over time.

The actor, who was 15 at the time, said her father, Charles Theron, had been drinking and became angry earlier in the evening after she entered a relative’s home without greeting him.

“I had to pee really badly. 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,” she said.

Later that night, Theron and her mother, Gerda, returned home, where tensions escalated. She recalled feeling uneasy as her father arrived, saying, “I just knew something bad was going to happen.”

According to her account, her father forced entry by shooting through the doors of the house. “He shot through the steel doors to get in, making it very clear that he was going to kill us,” she said.

Theron described how she and her mother tried to hold a bedroom door shut as shots were fired. “And this is the crazy thing: Not one bullet hit us,” she added.

Theron said her mother then retrieved a firearm. “She shot one bullet down the hallway that ricocheted seven times and shot him in the hand,” she said, before stating that her mother then shot her father.

Reflecting on the experience, Theron said she is not “haunted” by what happened and believes discussing such events can help others. “I think these things should be talked about because it makes other people not feel alone,” she said.

She also noted that similar situations are not uncommon, stating, “Unfortunately, this is not an isolated story.” Theron has since been involved in advocacy efforts addressing domestic violence.