Actor Jean-Claude Van Damme Investigated for Human Trafficking Involvement
Actor Jean-Claude Van Damme Investigated for Human Trafficking Involvement
Romanian prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into Hollywood actor Jean-Claude Van Damme over allegations that he had sexual relations with five Romanian women who were victims of human trafficking, Romanian media reported.
The complaint was filed with Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, or DIICOT, in Iași. It stems from statements made by a woman who claims she witnessed the incident during a private event in Cannes, France.
Based on the investigation, the women were allegedly exploited by a trafficking network believed to be led by Morel Bolea, a Romanian national already under scrutiny for coordinating human and minor trafficking operations. Prosecutors say Van Damme, 65, was offered the women as a “gift” and was aware they were victims of exploitation.
Testimony connects actor to alleged victims
Lawyer Adrian Cuculis, who represents one of the victims, said the case is part of a broader criminal file dating back to 2020. That file involves a network accused of recruiting and abusing women and minors, some of whom were presented as photo models.
The witness identified other alleged figures connected to the group, including Kasta Morely and a man described as a “guru” from Iași, who is suspected of sexually abusing underage girls.
Another celebrity child trafficking abuser. What are the odds? Jean-Claude Van Damme has become a defendant in a criminal case on human trafficking in Romania. The famous actor is accused of being able to use the sexual services of five underage girls. The case was initiated… pic.twitter.com/x7XmnKu4u1
— The SCIF (@TheIntelSCIF) April 2, 2025
“Well, one of them told prosecutors in Iași how at a certain point in Cannes, at an event organized by Jean-Claude Van Damme, 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 said in an interview with Antena 3 CNN.
“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.”
Authorities focus on cross-border trafficking network
Authorities believe the trafficking network operated by luring young women into false modeling opportunities and later forcing them into sex work. The case has triggered renewed attention toward cross-border trafficking crimes involving Romanian victims.
Because the alleged acts occurred on foreign soil, any formal prosecution of Van Damme would require approval from Romania’s Prosecutor General, who is attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice. Until then, the case remains under DIICOT Iași’s jurisdiction. Investigators must first formally identify and summon those involved, including the actor, to provide statements.
Van Damme, a Belgian-born martial artist and actor, rose to international fame in the late 1980s and 1990s with Hollywood action films such as Bloodsport, Kickboxer, and Universal Soldier.
As the Jean-Claude Van Damme woman trafficking scandal unfolds, Romanian prosecutors are working to verify the full scope of the alleged abuse.