Charlize Theron says the United States may be too racist to raise her black adopted children. The 42-year-old South African actress sat down with ELLE magazine to discuss her fears for her children.
Theron explained that she has considered leaving the U.S. for the safety of her kids, son Jackson, 6, and daughter August, 2, whom she co-parents with her mother.
“Being raised during the apartheid era in South Africa made me so hyper-aware of equality and human rights,” she told ELLE.
“I don’t even know how to talk about the last year under our new administration. But racism is much more alive and well than people thought. We can’t deny it anymore. We have to be vocal.”
Theron said she has declined movie roles because the U.S. is so racist.
“There are places in this country where, if I got a job, I wouldn’t take it. I wouldn’t travel with my kids to some parts of America, and that’s really problematic,” she says. “There are a lot of times when I look at my kids and I’m like, if this continues, I might have to [leave America]. Because the last thing I want is for my children to feel unsafe.”
The ‘Monster’ actress says she wants her kids to know their heritage and their black history.
“I want them to know who they are, and I want them to be so fucking proud of who they are. Building confidence for them right now is an oath I made to myself when I brought them home,” she says. “They need to know where they come from and be proud of that.
Photos by SL / Terma / BACKGRID
