65-year-old action star Jean-Claude Van Damme has been charged in Romania for his alleged involvement in a human sex trafficking case. According to the report, when he attended the Cannes Film Festival, he allegedly accepted five women as a "gift" from a syndicate led by Romanian businessman Morel Bolea.
Two of the women he gave to him were Romanian models who are still in danger. According to the lawyer for one of the victims, Atty. Adrian Cuculis, Van Damme knew that the women were victims of sex trafficking but he allegedly had sex with them anyway. He added that the victims are under severe emotional and physical stress because of what happened to them.
The case was filed by the Romanian Organized Crime and Terrorism Investigation Department. Because the incident occurred in Cannes, France, the French Supreme Court must first approve the extradition request for Van Damme to be summoned and face investigation and trial in Romania.
Van Damme is known for his martial arts background and popular films such as Bloodsport, Hard Target, and Universal Soldier. In 1993, he collaborated with Hong Kong director John Woo, which was a box office success. But over time, his Hollywood career waned and he gradually faded from the spotlight.
In 2020, he returned to the scene in the film The Last Mercenary, which was released on Netflix. But now, instead of talking about a film, he is facing a serious case that could change the course of his life. The entire incident is still under investigation while formal action from France is awaited.
