Bucharest, April 3, 2025 – Action movie icon Jean-Claude Van Damme, famed for Bloodsport and Kickboxer, is facing serious allegations in Romania, where authorities have filed a criminal complaint accusing him of knowingly engaging in sexual relations with trafficked women. The Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) claims the 64-year-old Belgian actor accepted five Romanian women as a “gift” during an event in Cannes, France, with full awareness of their exploited status, according to CNN affiliate Antena 3.
The Allegations Unfold
The complaint, reported Wednesday, April 2, alleges that Van Damme met with individuals under investigation for sex trafficking—part of a criminal network purportedly led by Romanian businessman and modeling agency owner Morel Bolea—who offered him the women during a visit to Cannes over a decade ago. Attorney Adrian Cuculis, representing one of the alleged victims, told Antena 3, “Several Romanians 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.” Cuculis emphasized that witness statements clearly indicate Van Damme was aware the women were being exploited.
The women, described as vulnerable and possibly exploited under Romania’s Criminal Code Article 182, were allegedly presented at an event Van Damme organized. The accusation surfaced as part of a broader human trafficking and minors investigation launched by Romanian prosecutors in 2020, triggered by a 26-year-old woman’s testimony about her experience in Cannes.
A Legal Limbo
Though the incident occurred in France, Romania’s DIICOT has taken the lead, filing charges under laws addressing the use of exploited persons and organized crime. However, because it happened in Cannes, the French High Court of Cassation must authorize proceedings before Van Damme can be summoned to Romania for questioning—a process that remains uncertain. Posts on X reflect public shock: “Jean-Claude Van Damme tied to trafficking? Hollywood’s underbelly just keeps getting darker,” one user wrote, capturing the growing outrage.
Van Damme, nicknamed “The Muscles from Brussels,” has not publicly responded. His representatives have also stayed silent, leaving the allegations unaddressed as of Thursday morning. This isn’t his first brush with controversy—Belgian prosecutors investigated a 2021 sexual assault claim from a Brussels bar, which he denied—but the trafficking charges escalate his legal woes significantly.
A Career in Context
Van Damme rose to fame in the late 1980s with martial arts-driven hits like Bloodsport (1988) and Double Impact (1991), earning sex symbol status. After a dip in the early 2000s, he rebounded with JCVD (2008) and The Expendables 2 (2012), alongside recent roles in Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022) and The Gardener (2025). Now, these allegations threaten to tarnish his legacy as one of action cinema’s enduring stars, whose films have grossed over $1 billion worldwide.
Broader Implications
The case ties into a chilling trend of high-profile figures linked to trafficking scandals, following Sean “Diddy” Combs’ 2024 arrest on similar charges. For Romania, it’s another chapter in a long fight against trafficking networks, with Bolea’s group under scrutiny for exploiting models. As the investigation unfolds—potentially implicating others like Andrew Tate, also named in Romanian trafficking probes—the world watches to see if Van Damme’s action-hero image can withstand this real-life drama. For now, the accusations hang heavy, awaiting France’s next move.
