It seems that South African-born actress Charlize Theron knew years before she adopted her son Jackson Theron that he would one day be a part of her life. Charlize, who has been open about her life-long desire to have a family, revealed to Madison magazine: “My mother found [a letter I wrote]. It said, ‘Would you please take me to orphanage, so that I can go and adopt a baby? I always knew I would adopt. Always.”
Jackson, nearly 2 years old, is now the main man in the 38-year-old’s life. The Academy Award-winning actress split with her long-time boyfriend Stuart Townsend about a year before she announced the adoption in March 2012.
And the adorable toddler, often seen in Charlize’s arms, doesn’t seem to mind being the sole focus of his celebrity single mum.
Charlize Theron with her son Jackson
Doting celebrity mum
The mother-son pair is a feature of Los Angeles life, enjoying outings together to local cafés and frozen yoghurt shops, or spending time with one of their famous friends, such as actress Sandra Bullock and her 3-year-old adopted son Louis.
Wherever they are spotted, it’s clear that Charlize is a doting mum. During an otherwise mundane haircut in March, Charlize held Jackson in her lap as the stylist snipped and trimmed his soft mane into a smart, straight-laced do.
But these days, Jackson has traded in his neat cut for a more punky Mohican style, mirroring the short, spiky hairdo that his mum has sported lately. Her little man is growing up so fast, she recently told E! News: “He’s not little any more—he’s huge. He’s just growing at a rate that I feel like every morning, I’m going to walk into his room and he’s going to be like Hercules, like busting out of his pyjamas…He’s amazing. He truly is heaven on toast.”
South African pride
Fit Charlize is already instilling her love of athletics in Jackson. On a recent holiday to Hawaii, proud mum taught her son how to swim, beaming as he kicked his legs about in the water. Not long ago, the two were also seen leaving a children’s gym in Beverly Hills after a tiring afternoon of sporty fun.
It’s not known if mum is also teaching Jackson to speak Afrikaans – her first language – but Charlize is without a doubt passing on her passion for South Africa. The now-American citizen grew up on a small farm near Johannesburg, where she witnessed her mother shoot and kill her abusive father in self-defence at age 15. Since leaving her home country a year later to pursue a modelling and acting career, Charlize has become active in the fight against HIV and AIDS in South Africa.
With such a talented and loving mum like Charlize, who overcame tragedy early on to become one of Hollywood’s highest paid actresses, Jackson is one lucky boy!
Tags: Academy award-winning actress, celebrity single mum, Charlize Theron, famous friends, HIV and AIDS South Africa, Hollywood's highest paid actresses, Jackson Theron, Sandra Bullock