Her father was a violent alcoholic

Charlize Theron grew up on her parents’ farm in Benoni, just outside Johannesburg — a place that should have been peaceful but instead became the setting for a night that would change her life forever.

On June 21, 1991, her father, a violent alcoholic, came home in a drunken rage. This time, it was worse than ever. Sensing trouble, an aunt called to warn the family that Charles was agitated.

Theron, who was 15 at the time, recalled the eerie feeling of dread that settled over her.

”Nature gives you instinct. And I knew something bad was going to happen,” she said.

When her father came home, he was out of control, hurling threats at Charlize and her mother, his anger boiling over into violence. Then, he grabbed a gun.

”My mom and I were in my bedroom, leaning against the door because he was trying to push through,” Charlize told NPR and continued:

”So both of us were leaning against the door from the inside, trying to stop him from getting through. 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,” Charlize added.

As he fired at them, Charlize’s mother, Gerda, had no choice. She reached for her own handgun, pulled the trigger and shot her husband. It was an act of survival.

The courts ruled it self-defense — Gerda faced no charges — but the trauma of that night would stay with Charlize forever.