8 Living With An Alcoholic
Living in apartheid South Africa was difficult enough for a child, but it turned out that Theron was not the only one fighting. Her internal life was fraught with turmoil. Charles Jacobus Theron, according to his daughter, was a tall, large-bellied man who, after drinking, subjected her mother and herself to horrible experiences.
She claims that her father never physically abused them, but she recalls her father being a verbal abuser when she shared her memories with ABC News. She said that although he was serious, he enjoyed having a good time and loved to laugh. He also had a disease. He was an alcoholic.” It was his alcoholism that led to a life-changing experience.
7 The Night Of The Murder
Charlize, then 15 years old, had just returned from boarding school when her father arrived home drunken and angry on June 21st, 1991. Charlize was old enough to understand that her parents had a difficult marriage. However, in South Africa, divorce was not an option.
According to testimony, her father said: “Tonight, I’m going to murder you both with my shotgun.” Then, Theron’s dad fired again, this time into her bedroom. Her mother then grabbed her own gun and shot both men. Her husband was killed and her brother-in-law was wounded by the shots.