Charlize Theron Is Not Apologising For Her Feminism

Charlize Theron is a feminist — and she's over making people feel more comfortable about it.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, the Mad Max: Fury Road star engaged in a conversation with Nelson Mandela's grandson, Kweku Mandela, at Los Angeles' Geffen Playhouse about issues relating to Nelson Mandela's legacy as a social justice crusader. The talk turned to feminism and the topic of equal pay — something that Theron has been outspoken about in the past. However, even Theron admitted that she had hangups when discussing her own beliefs about gender equality.

Not anymore, though, Theron told Mandela at the event.

"I’m proud to say that I am a fucking feminist," Theron told Mandela and the crowd at the Geffen Playhouse. "I remember always saying being a feminist meant a different thing to everybody. And I would apologise for it. And I had to ask, why was that? Why couldn't I just say, 'Yes, I’m a feminist?'"

In an interview with Elle UK in 2016, Theron found herself explaining what it meant to be a feminist.

"This is a good time for us to bring this to a place of fairness, and girls need to know that being a feminist is a good thing. It doesn't mean that you hate men... If you’re doing the same job, you should be compensated and treated in the same way," she told the outlet.

While there are valid criticisms of feminism that is not intersectional, the people who think that all feminists are militant man-haters need to borrow a dictionary — one that reminds them that feminism is simply "the belief that women... should have equal rights and opportunities."

Theron went on to explain in her talk with Mandela how she asked for equal pay to her co-star Chris Hemsworth on The Huntsman: Winter's War. However, while at first she said she felt "lucky" to receive the same pay, she quickly backtracked — because this is a woman who no longer makes apologies, mmkay?

"No, I didn’t feel lucky," she said during the talk. "I deserved that and I asked for it."

May all women continue to remember their worth.

Read These Stories Next:
Happy Songs That Will Instantly Put You In A Good Mood
Where Are They Now: 15 Of Your Favorite Celebs From 15 Years Ago
See The Kardashians & Jenners As Disney Princesses (You Know You Want To)

s