Charlize Theron Says Her Kids Have Become "Little Warriors" Amid Black Lives Matter Movement

Charlize Theron appeared on The Tonight Show and told Jimmy Fallon how she's talked to her daughters, Jackson, 8, and August, 5, about the Black Lives Matter movement.

By Elyse Dupre Jul 14, 2020 2:28 PMTags
Charlize Theron, 2020 Oscars, Academy Awards, Red Carpet FashionsAmy Sussman/Getty Images

Charlize Theron appeared on Monday's episode of The Tonight Show and discussed how she's talking about the Black Lives Matter movement with her adopted daughters Jackson, 8, and August, 5.

"The day I became a parent, I just vowed that I would always tell them the truth—in a way that they could handle," the 44-year-old actress said. "I feel like this is such an important moment for them—for all of us."

The Oscar winner then spoke about how her children, who are both Black, have an "awareness" and how parents can "forget how aware are kids are."

"I wanted them to know what this was all about, what happened to George Floyd and to so many other Black bodies that have died from this violence," Theron continued. "I wanted them to have an awareness of how unfair and how unjust all of this is."

While Theron acknowledged "there's a part in telling them some of that ugliness of the world that would make them grow up a little bit faster than they should have or would have," she said "this is too important of a moment to not be completely transparent." The Bombshell star also said her children handled the talk "really well." 

"I think it was heartbreaking at first," Theron said. "They couldn't understand that people would let something like that happen. I'm getting emotional just thinking about it because that is really ultimately what it is. How do we allow anything like this to happen on our watch?"

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After their discussions, Theron's children wanted to know what they could do and how they could be proactive. The Mad Max star said they also wanted to make signs and go protest. 

"They've really grown from this," she added. "They've become little warriors in their own right. I can take no credit for it."

In addition to talking about her kids, Theron spoke about her nonprofit organization Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP) and her new movie The Old Guard. She was also joined by two of her four dogs, Leo and Cleo, for the majority of the virtual interview. 

"They're just extra body parts. They never leave my lap," she quipped. "They were Christmas gifts to my two girls, 'cause they so desperately wanted their own dogs, and now I have four dogs."

Watch: Charlize Theron Jokes Her Kids Think Oscars Are Waste of Time

Watch the video to see Theron's interview.

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