We are used to Trevor Noah bringing the funny, but he recently shared an experience that was tragically serious.

The Daily Show host sat down with PEOPLE and Entertainment Weekly Editorial Director for the most recent episode of The Jess Cagle Interview, and opened up a terrifying event that happened to his family.

Trevor was born in South Africa during Apartheid to a black South African mother and a white Swiss father. His childhood was wrought with segregation and poverty. When an abusive stepfather came into the picture, things worsened. After his mother and stepfather divorced, Trevor got a call one day (as an adult) from his brother saying that his stepfather had shot his mother, Patricia, in the head. Miraculously, she managed to survive, as the bullet went into the back of her head and out her nose, missing her brain and arteries. He said:

“I remember after the shooting, my mother was in the hospital, and all I felt was rage. My mother said to me, ‘Don’t hate him for doing this, but rather pity him because he too is a victim, in his own way, of a world that has thrust upon him an idea of masculinity that he has subscribed to and is now a part of. As for myself, I do not wish to imbue myself with a hatred that only I will carry.’ ”

The 33-year-old admitted that it took him some time to fully understand what she meant. He shared:

“I think watching my mom, her growth post-shooting, our family and the way we became stronger, really became the example that I chose to live by. That’s really what I’ve stuck to, and that’s how I try to live my life every day.”

His stepfather was convicted of attempted murder but was only sentenced to probation.

Noah shared more about his roots in his 2016 bestselling memoir, Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood.

To read Trevor’s full interview, pick up this week’s issue of PEOPLE, hitting newsstands on Friday.