Birth Name : Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg
Date of Birth : 18 October 1960, Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Brussels, Belgium
Height : 5' 9" (1.75 m)
Occupation : Actor, martial artist, director
Born Jean-Claude Van Varenberg, the future big screen butt-kicker entered the world on Oct. 18, 1960, in Belgium. Physical perfection and martial arts were always his focus, beginning when he entered martial arts training at the age of 11. He earned a black belt in Shotokan karate and won the European Professional Karate Association's middleweight championship while still in his late teens. After touring internationally as a competitor on the professional karate and kickboxing circuits, he opened his own gym in his hometown of Brussels. His moderate level of renown in the bodybuilding and martial arts industries led to some modeling work and product endorsements, and with stars in his eyes, Van Damme spent some time in Hong Kong trying to break into martial arts films. By the time he was 21 years old, he was set on the idea of parlaying his background into a career as a movie star. Not surprisingly, he moved to Hollywood, trying out various stage names like Frank Cujo (which he dropped upon the release of the horror film of the same name) and Jean-Claude Vandam, while taking a variety of odd jobs to make ends meet.
On 3 February 1994 Van Damme married for the fourth time, now with Darcy La Pier. She worked as a model and was born in 1965. She won the Hawaiian Tropic beauty-contest, representing the state of Oregon in 1985.
Though Van Damme often refers to himself as a loving and devoted husband, Darcy LaPier filed for divorce, claiming the "Muscles from Brussels" terrorized her and their son, Nicholas. She also stated instances of mood swings and physical abuse, which she attributed to his cocaine addiction. Among LaPier's other claims: Van Damme threatened to kidnap their son and leave the United States; he threatened to kill one of her lawyers; and he once assaulted her so badly that she needed to go to the hospital. In Sun Valley, Idaho, LaPier called 911 after an argument with him. No charges were filed. In 1996 their divorce was finalized and a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge granted LaPier custody of their son and Jean ClaudeJean-Claude Van Damme was ordered to pay $27,000 a month in child support and $85,000 a month in spousal support. It was one of the largest litigated child support awards ever handed. On the other hand, once in Bali, Van Damme claims, LaPier attacked him with an end table. Anyway. Darcy LaPier does not like Van Damme anymore.
Van Damme's parents did not approve of LaPier. "We told him, marriage, don't do it," says his father. "Not a good woman for you," his mother warned him. Van Damme's mother, a vital, statuesque woman who used to run a flower shop in Brussels, is very positive about his son. " Jean-Claude Van Damme is a very family man ", she once said. Jean-Claude Van Damme visited the family in Europe as often as he could (his older sister, Veronique, owns a hair salon in Belgium) and flew them to his various movie sets around the world.
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