The Young Adult actress was honored for her philanthropic work and made an emotional speech during the event.
"It's impossible for me to accept this award because there's someone here so much more powerful than me," Theron, a vocal advocate for HIV/AIDS research and awareness, said onstage. She gestured toward her mom, Gerda, sitting in the audience.
"I hope you're OK with me giving this award to my mom," she continued. "That bitch was building roads in Africa when no woman was doing that. I thank you, Mom, for teaching me to by your actions how to be a strong woman, and for turning me into a p---y every time I talk to you."
Theron was honored alongside Amy Poehler that day. The two join fellow Lifetime Impact honorees Nicole Kidman, Elizabeth Banks, Jennifer Hudson, and Kerry Washington.
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