MY MOM, MY FRIEND, MY LIFE

Family and friends share childhood memories as Charlize Theron pays an emotional tribute to her devoted mom Gerda on her birthday

- NICI DE WET & MARELIZE GRBICH

THE city they live in is home to palm trees towering over broad boulevards, movie sets sprawling below sun-bleached hillsides and the fabulous mansions of some of the biggest names in the entertainment business.

It is here in Los Angeles that Charlize Theron and her mom, Gerda Maritz, have carved a life for themselves, far from the Benoni smallholding that holds both bitter and sweet memories of a world very different to the one they now occupy.

But there’s one thing that hasn’t changed over the decades: mother and daughter are as close as ever – bound by blood but also best friends and the ultimate confidantes.

So it was no surprise when Charlize (46) posted a touching tribute to Gerda when she recently turned 69.

“Today is my mom’s birthday,” she said alongside a picture of her mother hiking with her daughters, Jackson (10) and August (7).

“I wanted to share her with all of you because anyone who knows her, knows how utterly awesome it is to stand in her sunlight. She is truly life. She laughs louder than anyone I’ve ever met.

“She’s a great tennis player/golfer/hiker and a gifted s***talker! She’s direct, she’s honest, she’s funny and she’ll tell you how it is any time of day.”

She ended with a sentence in Afrikaans: “Ma, ek lief jou oor die maan [Mom, I love you over the moon].”

Then followed a slide show of mother-daughter moments – the pair smiling into the camera, laughing on Halloween, lounging around the pool, chilling on a beach.

Charlize has often said her mother is the most important person in her life and Gerda spends almost all her time with her daughter and grandchildren. And Charlize reciprocates with treats and spoils.