Despite being one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Charlize Theron has always kept her family life largely out of the spotlight.
The Oscar-winning actress, known for films including Monster, Mad Max: Fury Road, Apex, and most recently The Odyssey, has spoken openly about how becoming a mother transformed her priorities.
While she rarely shares photos of her children, she has offered glimpses into the loving family she has built.
Does Charlize Theron have any children?
Charlize is a proud mum to two daughters, Jackson and August, both of whom she adopted.
She adopted her eldest daughter, Jackson, in 2012, and her second daughter, August, in 2015.
“It’s just the way things worked out,” Charlize said to Elle in 2016. “When you adopt, you have to do it unconditionally. I threw myself into the adoption process because I was convinced that I could fulfil the role of mother and give my children all the love and attention they need. No one aspires to become a single parent, but I learned a long time ago that you can’t control everything in life. I have adapted to the situation because I am pragmatic.”
The actress has often said adoption was always part of her plans for motherhood. Growing up in South Africa, Charlize witnessed many children in need of loving homes and has shared that she always knew she wanted to adopt, regardless of whether she had biological children.
In 2019, Charlize publicly confirmed that Jackson is transgender.
“I thought she was a boy, too,” Charlize told the Daily Mail in 2019. “Until she looked at me when she was three years old and said: ‘I am not a boy!'”
She has consistently advocated for allowing her children to define who they are.
“My job as a parent is to celebrate them and to love them and to make sure that they have everything they need to be what they want to be,” she said.
“They were born who they are and exactly where in the world both of them get to find themselves as they grow up, and who they want to be is not for me to decide.”
Although Charlize keeps her daughters away from the public eye, she has occasionally shared some special moments on her social media.
On Mother’s Day 2026, she shared a carousel of images of herself with her daughters, writing in the post: “The greatest honor of my life!”
She also shared a video for her birthday of her and her daughters leaping off a boat, captioned: “Me and my girls 4 life.”
Charlize Theron’s mother, Gerda Maritz
Charlize Theron is an only child. She was raised by her mother, Gerda Maritz, on a farm in Benoni near Johannesburg, South Africa. Fun fact: Charlize has shared that while growing up on the farm, her best friend was a goat called Bok!
They have an exceptionally close relationship. However, their lives were shaped by tragedy.
When Charlize was 15 years old, her father, Charles Theron, was shot and killed by Gerda during a violent domestic incident. Her father was an alcoholic and attacked both Gerda and Charlize. She retrieved a handgun and shot him back. Authorities ruled that Gerda acted in self-defence and no charges were laid.
Charlize has spoken thoughtfully about the impact the event had on her life, saying that while it was traumatic, she does not define herself by what happened.
She spoke candidly on the Call Her Daddy podcast about how much her father’s alcoholism impacted her more than that fateful night.
Over the years, Gerda has frequently accompanied her daughter to premieres and awards ceremonies, with Charlize describing her as one of the most important people in her life.
On Gerda’s birthday in 2026, Charlize shared a poignant post and tribute to her mother.
“Today is my moms birthday. I wanted to share her with all of you because anyone who knows her, knows how utterly awesome it’s is to stand in her sunlight. She TRULY is life. She laughs louder than anyone I’ve ever met. She’s a great tennis player/golfer/hiker AND a gifted shit talker! She’s direct, she’s honest, she funny, and she’ll tell you how it is anytime of the day! Ma, ek lief jou oor die maan.”
Did Charlize Theron ever marry?
Charlize has never been married. However, she has had several high-profile relationships, including with Irish actor Stuart Townsend, whom she dated for nearly a decade, and actor Sean Penn.
Despite those long-term relationships, Charlize has said marriage was never something she felt she needed.
“I’m a single mom, and I have an incredible village that helps me raise these two beautiful kids,” she said on the Ellen DeGeneres show in 2017.
Speaking on the Call Her Daddy podcast in 2024, she explained that she has enjoyed building a fulfilling life centred on her children rather than feeling pressure to follow a traditional path.
“Marriage is a long-term commitment, and I think I want a long-term commitment,” she explained. “I just don’t need to get married.”
“I have tried dating, and I can tell that no man’s moving into our house while my daughters are there. I don’t think I can do it. I literally can’t imagine a man moving into our house and me sharing my closet.”
