10 Things You Didn't Know About Charlize Theron

9. Her Mother Killed Her Father In Self-Defence

Sadly, Theron's childhood wasn't without tragedy, after her mother shot and killed her father after he threatened them with a weapon in a drunken rage. Charles - whom Charlize was named after - was an alcoholic, and repeatedly became aggressive, when one night he threatened Charlize with a gun in his hand, forcing Gerda to shoot him with her own weapon. She was cleared of all charges through the South African courts after her actions were ruled as self-defence. The information wasn't brought into the public spectrum until 2004, and Theron rarely speaks about her traumatic experience.