Jean-Claude Van Damme 'Lived on the Street and Stole Food' Before Striking Gold with Martial Arts Film 'Bloodsport' — As Actor's 'Career Now Over' Amid Sex Trafficking Scandal
Jean-Claude Van Damme was desperate for any type of role before 'Bloodsport' came along.
April 4 2025, Published 3:30 p.m. ET
Jean-Claude Van Damme found himself barely being able to survive on the streets, leaning on stealing food before his career took off with the martial arts classic Bloodsport.
Now the big screen legend's career may completely be done as he's been accused of sleeping with sex trafficking victims, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Van Damme's resorted to stealing food in order to get by before his big break.
In a 2019 interview with Role Recall, Van Damme recalled how much he was struggling before he got his massive break, noting a chance encounter he had with Cannon Films executive Menahem Golan while waiting on his table at a Los Angeles restaurant.
According to Van Damme, he showed off his now famous roundhouse kick, executing it right over the producer's head. However, while Golan didn't care for it, the film buyers dining alongside him were impressed enough to urge Golan to invite Van Damme to a meeting.
“I met (Golan) weeks later, and he said, ‘My friend. Michael Dudikoff. He is a star. Chuck Norris. He is a star. You will never be a star,'" the actor recalled.
A chance meeting with a film producer at a restaurant changed the actor's life forever.
He continued: "This voice I have, this intuition voice I’ve had for years and years, said, ‘Go around the desk and beg, bro. This is your last shot, right?’
“I was living on the street, sleeping in cars and garages, sometimes I stole food. I didn’t have good money. … I was so starving for movies. When you want something, you want something, right?
"So I go around the desk (and) say, ‘Anything? Do you have a small part?’ And he (saw) me so sad, and the situation of a guy asking – almost begging – and he said, ‘Sit down.’ He was sad to see me like that. He looked at me strange, he waited for two or three minutes, and he said (to an associate), ‘Karen, bring me Bloodsport.'” And he gave me Bloodsport like that.”
Van Damme snagged a role in 'Bloodsport,' leading to huge success overnight.
The film had the Belgian star portraying American Frank Dux, who leaves the military to compete in a fight-to-the-death martial arts tournament in Hong Kong.
Bloodsport – released on February 26, 1988 – was a huge success.
"The movie was released only on a few screens in Los Angeles,” Van Damme said in the interview. “And we did $9,000 per screen, which was huge. So (Golan) stopped the VHS release. He opened it in more theaters.”
Bloodsport would go on to gross $50million on a $1.5million budget, and also turn Van Damme into an overnight success. More roles would follow including Kickboxer, Lionheart, Double Impact, and Universal Soldier.
Fast-forward to April 1,2025, the date a criminal complaint was filed with the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism against the movie star, claiming he engaged in sexual relations with five women trafficked by a criminal group allegedly organized by Morel Bolea – a Romanian businessman and modeling agency owner.
According to the site, the women were presented to the 64-year-old as "a gift."
Van Damme has been accused of sleeping with sex trafficking victims.
Fans were quick to react, claiming Van Damme's career won't recover from this.
"Call it a career for him now," one wrote, as another added: "Not surprised. He’s always had a smug air about him that he could get away with anything and still be 'adored.' Never liked him."
One user said: "Time to call it quits!"
This is not the only scandal Van Damme has found himself in as his fourth wife Darcy LaPier cited spousal abuse in her 1997 divorce filing from the star.
She said at the time: "I am presently too afraid to stay with Jean-Claude. His physical and mental abuse and his drug abuse are at a dangerous level."
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Van Damme was also once accused of spousal abuse.
