Jean-Claude Van Damme has been accused of having sex with multiple Romanian women he knew were trafficked.
CNN affiliate Antena 3 reported Wednesday that a criminal complaint was filed with the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), alleging that the married martial artist-turned-actor, 64, engaged in sexual relations with five women trafficked by a criminal group believed to be led by Romanian businessman and modeling agency owner Morel Bolea.
The women were allegedly presented to Van Damme — who is also a martial artist and bodybuilder — as a “gift,” and the alleged acts took place in Cannes at an event he organized, according to Antena 3 CNN.
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A timeframe for the alleged acts was not noted.
Attorney Adrian Cuculis, who represents one of the alleged 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.
“At one point in Cannes, at an event organized by Jean-Claude Van Damme, several Romanians who are currently being investigated for the establishment of 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 told the outlet, according to an English translation.
“The person who received those benefits knew their condition. From the witness statements, it is very clear that Jean-Claude Van Damme knew that these people were being exploited.”
One of the women who witnessed the alleged acts reported what she saw to prosecutors, which prompted DIICOT to open a criminal investigation, per Antena 3 CNN.
Given that the alleged acts took place in Cannes, the High Court of Cassation in France must now authorize the initiation of criminal proceedings.
Once identified, the alleged perpetrators in the case will then be summoned to Romania to give statements, Antena 3 CNN reported.
According to Cuculis, the “outrageous” case is part of a larger investigation into human trafficking and the trafficking of minors that began in 2020 by Romania’s prosecutor’s office.
