Jean-Claude Van Damme has denied accusations he knowingly engaged in sexual relations with women trafficked by a criminal group.
The action film star, whose credits include Street Fighter and Bloodsport, has spoken out after reportedly finding himself the subject of criminal charges in Romania over the claims.
Last week, it was alleged that Van Damme received five Romanian women as a “gift” from a group of traffickers while in Cannes, France – but the actor’s agent has hit back at the “unfounded” claims.
“We have become aware of articles alleging an alleged affair in Cannes involving Mr Jean-Claude Van Damme,” Patrick Goavec said in a statement.
He told People: “The reported facts are both grotesque and non-existent. Mr Van Damme does not wish to comment or fuel this rumour, which is as absurd as it is unfounded.”
The news originally surfaced after a report by the local CNN affiliate Antena 3, who alleged that a criminal complaint had been filed with the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT).
According to the outlet, DIICOT launched their investigation after a woman allegedly witnessed the incident at an event organised by Van Damme and shared what she claimed she had seen with prosecutors.
Antena 3 quotesattorney Adrian Cuculis, who is representing one of the alleged victims, as saying that “several Romanians who are currently being investigated for forming a criminal group and pimping, allegedly offered Jean-Claude Van Damme five Romanian women – photo models in Romania – for him to have sexual relations with”.
Cuculis added that “the person who received those benefits knew their condition,” and that the women “were in a state of vulnerability, with the suspicion that they were exploited within the meaning of Article 182 of the Criminal Code”.
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Antena 3 was also told the alleged incident is part of a larger investigation by the Romanian Prosecutor’s Office into human trafficking, and the trafficking of minors, that has been carried out since 2020.
Former bodybuilder Van Damme made his big break into action films in the 1980s, and led cult martial arts film Bloodsport in 1988. His other credits include Kickboxer, Double Impact, Universal Soldier, Timecop, Street Fighter, and Sudden Death.
More recently, he has played a villainous role in The Expendables 2 and provided voice work for the 2022 family film Minions: The Rise of Gru.
In 2021, a director for the sitcom Friends said Van Damme was “unprepared and arrogant” during his guest appearance on the show.
He starred as himself in the second season episode “The One After the Super Bowl,” in which he was romantically pursued by both Monica (Courteney Cox) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston).
While he hasn’t responded to director Michael Lembeck’s comments, Van Damme told the New York Post in 2023 that he was “ashamed” of his acting in the episode.
“My acting is so bad…. I’m ashamed of myself,” said Van Damme. “So then I was on the set, and those girls, they go and they kiss me and they kiss me on the lips. I didn’t know what to do, how to do … It was strange. They were very nice.”
He added he knew little about the hit sitcom, saying: “I didn’t know much about the show. So when I go to the show, I see those two beautiful girls and they say this is the hottest show right now in the world. So I was very glad.”
Van Damme has been married five times – twice to female bodybuilder Gladys Portugues in 1987 and, after divorcing in 1992, again in 1999. They are still together now. The actor has three children.
