Anna Hartz
Five Romanian Women ‘Offered’ to Van Damme at Private Event, Police Told
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The glamor of film festivals often hides darker realities. Behind the flashing lights and luxury hotels, not everything is as polished as it seems.
That’s the picture now emerging from Cannes, where serious allegations involving actor Jean-Claude Van Damme have come to light.
Romanian police have received a formal complaint accusing Van Damme of having sex with five women who were victims of human trafficking, reports Ziare.
The incident allegedly happened at a TV series launch party held during the Cannes Film Festival. The complaint was filed on April 2.
The women were reportedly brought to the event under false pretenses. One of them said she expected to attend a regular film event.
Instead, she found herself at a private party inside a hotel ballroom. She claims that one of the organizers selected five women from a group affiliated with Fashion TV and sent them to Van Damme.
At this stage, it’s unclear whether Van Damme knew the women were being trafficked. His agent denied the claims. He called the accusations absurd and without foundation.
Former modeling agency owner turned human trafficker
The Romanian lawyer who filed the complaint is Adrian Cuculis. He also represents another girl who says she was trafficked by Morel Bolea, a former modeling agency owner.
Cuculis said the women were “offered” to Van Damme. He added that the situation would be different if the women had gone to Van Damme on their own.
But in this case, he said, someone directed them toward him.
Romanian prosecutors are now investigating the claims. Police have linked the complaint to a larger case involving Morel Bolea.
Bolea was arrested in 2022. He is accused of running a trafficking network from 2000 to 2016.
His methods reportedly involved using psychological pressure on young women, including minors.
The DIICOT office in Bucharest, which handles serious organized crime cases, confirmed they received the complaint.
They are now conducting an investigation under laws that apply to using the services of exploited people.
The identities and whereabouts of the women are still unknown.