Kris Van Damme: Facts about Jean-Claude Van Damme's son

May 2024 · 4 minute read

Kris Van Damme is the son of Jean-Claude Van Damme. Kris Van Damme’s father, Jean Claude is a Belgian actor, martial artist, filmmaker, and fight choreographer. Born and raised in Brussels, Belgium, at the age of ten his father enrolled him in martial arts classes, which led to Van Damme entering several competitions. With the desire of becoming an actor, he moved to the United States in 1982, where he did odd jobs and worked on several films, until he got his break as the lead in the martial arts film Bloodsport.

Kris Van Damme: Profile Summary

NameKristopher van Varenberg
Famous asson of Jean-Claude Van Damme
Date of BirthMay 20, 1987
BirthplaceLos Angeles County, California, United States
Age (as in 2021)34 years old
EthnicityWhite
NationalitySwedish-American
Zodiac SignTaurus
Siblings Bianca Bree, Nicholas Van Varenberg
ParentsFather- Jean-Claude Van Damme, 
Mother-Gladys Portugues

Kristopher van Varenberg (aka “Kris Van Damme”) is the first son of martial arts/action superstar, Belgian-born actor Jean-Claude Van Damme with fitness expert/actress Gladys Portugues. Born on May 20, 1987, Kris Van Damme is 34 years old as of 2021. Kristopher is not the only child of his parents, he has a younger sister, Bianca Brigitte Van Damme, and another brother with Van Damme’s ex-wife Darcy LaPier, named Nicolas.

Kris Van Damme: Career

Kris Van Damme first faced the camera in Universal Soldier (1992) as Young Luc Deveraux followed by The Quest (1996) -the first film directed by his father, Van Damme- in which he portrayed the character of Young Chris. Just like his father Kris also had martial arts classes.

Kristopher Van Varenberg got his first acting role in Derailed (2002) then resumed his acting career in Universal Soldier: Regeneration (2009) and Full Love (2010) –directed by Jean-Claude Van Damme. In an exclusive interview with Kris Van Damme by the Int’l JCVD Forum, he said that he also has a passion for writing and directing besides his career as an actor. He was credited as a writer for the first time in Van Damme’s martial arts epic movie known as The Tower (2010). He is also an active animal rights supporter.

Kris studied 2D Animation in Vancouver B.C., Canada before moving back to Los Angeles where he decided to continue his career in the entertainment industry as an actor, director, and writer for both film and animation. Kris Van Damme resides in Los Angeles and he is represented by The Gersh Agency.

Is Kris Kris Van Damme married?

Although much is not known about Kris’ love life, his father on the other hand has been married five times to four different women. He was married to his third wife, bodybuilder Gladys Portugues(Chris’ mother), with whom he has two children (Kristopher Van Varenberg (born 1987) and Bianca Brigitte (born 1990)), until 1992, when he began an affair with actress Darcy LaPier, whom he married in February 1994. From this marriage, they had a son named Nicholas (born 10 October 1995). That same year he had an affair with his Street Fighter co-star Kylie Minogue during the filming of that movie in Thailand. LaPier, who was pregnant with their son at the time, did not become aware of the affair until Van Damme publicly admitted it in 2012.

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By the mid-1990s, the stress of the constant filming and promotion of his films, as Kris’ father, Van Damme explains, led him to develop a cocaine habit, on which he spent up to $10,000 a week, and consuming up to 10 grams per day by 1996. He was arrested for driving under the influence in 1999. Attempts at drug rehabilitation were unsuccessful, and he resorted to resolving his addiction via quitting cold turkey and exercise. In 1998, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. 

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In 2011, Kris Van Damme’s father discussed the condition on the British reality show Behind Closed Doors, saying, “Sometimes you’re gonna like me, and sometimes you’re gonna hate me. But what can I do? I’m not perfect … I’m an extreme bipolar, and I’m taking medication for this … When I was young, I was suffering those swing moods. In the morning, the sky was blue [when I was] going to school, and to me, the sky was black. I was so sad.”

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