Latest news with #VanDamme
Euronews
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Jean-Claude Van Damme asks Putin for ambassadorial job and sends 'big kiss' to Russia
ADVERTISEMENT Actor and former bodybuilder Jean-Claude Van Damme has addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin in a strange new video message published on Telegram by pro-Russian Ukraine-born journalist Diana Panchenko. Panchenko has been accused of treason by the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) in 2023. Van Damme said in the video that he was ready to come to Russia and become 'an ambassador of peace'. "We want to come to Russia. We will try to do this the way you want to do this, to be an ambassador of peace. I would love to be... I would be honourred to have this title…' The action star then recounted a protracted anecdote about how he and Putin met in Sochi at a martial arts event and how their shoes touched. He indeed visited Russia in 2010 and in 2007, when he attended a reception in St. Petersburg (see picture below). The Muscles from Brussels concluded the video by saying: "Let's do this. Ambassador of peace. We won't talk politics – only about peace, sport and happiness. We love you.' At the end of the appeal, Van Damme blew a kiss to Russia and sent 'a big kiss to Putin and his family.' Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Jean Claude Van Damme and Vladimir Putin attend a reception in St. Petersburg, Russia - 14 April 2007 AP Photo Tasteless declarations of love aside, Van Damme hit headlines earlier this month when he was accused of allegedly meeting with several people under investigation for sex trafficking crimes – people who offered to let him have sex with five Romanian models as a "gift." The Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) reportedly filed a criminal complaint against the Belgian actor, with this alleged incident having taken place in Cannes. No timeframe was noted. Adrian Cuculis, the lawyer of one of the alleged victims, stated: 'At an event organised by Jean-Claude Van Damme in Cannes, several Romanians, who are currently under investigation for forming a criminal group and pimping, allegedly offered Jean-Claude Van Damme five Romanian women - photo models in Romania - for sex.' He added: 'The person who received these services was aware of their condition.' Van Damme has denied the accusations of knowingly engaging in sexual relations with women he knew to be trafficked, with the actor's agent calling the claims 'unfounded'. 'We have become aware of articles alleging an alleged affair in Cannes involving Mr Jean-Claude Van Damme,' Patrick Goavec said in a statement. '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.'
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jean-Claude Van Damme asks Putin for ambassadorial job and sends 'big kiss' to Russia
Actor and former bodybuilder Jean-Claude Van Damme has addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin in a strange new video message published on Telegram by pro-Russian Ukraine-born journalist Diana Panchenko. Panchenko has been accused of treason by the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) in 2023. Van Damme said in the video that he was ready to come to Russia and become 'an ambassador of peace'. "We want to come to Russia. We will try to do this the way you want to do this, to be an ambassador of peace. I would love to be... I would be honourred to have this title…' The action star then recounted a protracted anecdote about how he and Putin met in Sochi at a martial arts event and how their shoes touched. He indeed visited Russia in 2010 and in 2007, when he attended a reception in St. Petersburg (see picture below). The Muscles from Brussels concluded the video by saying: "Let's do this. Ambassador of peace. We won't talk politics – only about peace, sport and happiness. We love you.' At the end of the appeal, Van Damme blew a kiss to Russia and sent 'a big kiss to Putin and his family.' Tasteless declarations of love aside, Van Damme hit headlines earlier this month when he was accused of allegedly meeting with several people under investigation for sex trafficking crimes – people who offered to let him have sex with five Romanian models as a "gift." The Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) reportedly filed a criminal complaint against the Belgian actor, with this alleged incident having taken place in Cannes. No timeframe was noted. Adrian Cuculis, the lawyer of one of the alleged victims, stated: 'At an event organised by Jean-Claude Van Damme in Cannes, several Romanians, who are currently under investigation for forming a criminal group and pimping, allegedly offered Jean-Claude Van Damme five Romanian women - photo models in Romania - for sex.' He added: 'The person who received these services was aware of their condition.' Van Damme has denied the accusations of knowingly engaging in sexual relations with women he knew to be trafficked, with the actor's agent calling the claims 'unfounded'. 'We have become aware of articles alleging an alleged affair in Cannes involving Mr Jean-Claude Van Damme,' Patrick Goavec said in a statement. '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.'
Fox News
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Jean-Claude Van Damme hits back at 'grotesque' sex trafficking allegations
Jean-Claude Van Damme called the sex-trafficking allegations against him "absurd" and "grotesque." Van Damme has been accused of knowingly engaging in a sexual encounter with a group of sex-trafficked women, according to multiple reports. "We have become aware of articles alleging an alleged affair in Cannes involving Mr. Jean-Claude Van Damme. The reported facts are both grotesque and non-existent," Patrick Goavec, the actor's agent, told Fox News Digital. "Mr. Van Damme does not wish to comment or fuel this rumor, which is as absurd as it is unfounded," the statement concluded. The statement has been translated from French. A criminal complaint against Van Damme detailing the allegations was filed with the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), Romanian outlet Antena 3 reported. "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. The person who received those benefits knew their condition," attorney Adrian Cuculis told the outlet. The alleged encounter occurred in Cannes, where Van Damme received a "gift" of five Romanian women and reportedly knew they were victims of a sex-trafficking ring. Cuculis explained that the women "were in a state of vulnerability" with "suspicion that they were exploited," according to Atena 3. The next step in the case would be for the High Court of Cassation in France to sign off on criminal proceedings before each suspect would be required to give statements in Romania. Van Damme gained fame in the '80s with his breakout role in "Bloodsport." The Belgian actor quickly became known for his action films, including "Universal Soldier," "Double Impact," "Street Fighter" and "Kickboxer." The 64-year-old movie star has two projects currently in pre-production after starring in "The Gardener" in 2025.
The Independent
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Jean-Claude Van Damme denies ‘grotesque' claim he knowingly had sex with five trafficked women
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'. 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.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jean-Claude Van Damme Sex Trafficking Allegations Are 'Absurd' and 'Unfounded,' Says Actor's Agent
Jean-Claude Van Damme's agent is speaking out about criminal charges filed against the actor. "We have become aware of articles alleging an alleged affair in Cannes involving Mr. Jean-Claude Van Damme. The reported facts are both grotesque and non-existent," the actor's agent, Patrick Goavec, told PEOPLE in a statement translated from French on Wednesday, April 9. "Mr. Van Damme does not wish to comment or fuel this rumor, which is as absurd as it is unfounded," the statement added. A criminal complaint was filed with the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) against the Streetfighter star, 64, alleging that he knowingly engaged in sexual relations with women trafficked by a criminal group led by Morel Bolea, according to CNN affiliate Antena 3. The incident allegedly took place during an event organized by Van Damme in Cannes, where the actor is accused of having received five Romanian women as a "gift" with prior knowledge that they came from a group of traffickers, according to the criminal complaint obtained by the outlet. Attorney Adrian Cuculis, who represents one of the victims, told the outlet 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." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. One woman who claimed see witnessed the incident shared what she allegedly saw with prosecutors, according to Antenna 3 CNN. This prompted the DIICOT to open a criminal investigation into the incident. '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. The person who received those benefits knew their condition,' attorney Adrian Cuculis told the outlet in a translated post. Cuculis told Antena 3 that the incident is part of a larger investigation into human trafficking and the trafficking of minors that began in 2020 by the Prosecutor's Office in Romania. The next step in the case would be the High Court of Cassation in France authorizing criminal proceedings. Then, suspects identified in the case will be summoned to Romania to give statements, Antena 3 Damme, who was born in Belgium, made his breakout with 1988's Bloodsport and went on to star in several action films including Kickboxer, Double Impact and The Expendables 2. He most recently appeared as a voice actor in 2022's Minions: Rise of Gru and 2025's The Gardener. Read the original article on People
