Jean-Claude Van was born on 18 October 1960 in Sint-Agatha-Berchem, Brussels, Belgium. He is a Belgian actor, martial artist, screenwriter, film producer, and director best known for his action movies. He is the 2nd Dan Black Belt in Shotokan, a martial art form. Jean-Claude Van is the son of Eliana and Eugène Van Varenberg, who were an accountant and florist. He started training in martial arts at the age of ten, enrolled by his father in a Shotokan karate school. His styles consist of Shotokan Karate and Kickboxing. He eventually earned his black belt in karate at the age of 18.
Jean-Claude Van has been married five times to four different women. He was married to his third wife, bodybuilder Gladys Portugues with whom he has two children: Kristopher (born 1987) and Bianca (born 1990) until 1992. After his separation with his former wife Portugues, he started dating actress Darcy LaPier, whom he married in February 1994. That same year he had an affair with his co-star Kylie Minogue during the filming of a movie in Thailand.
LaPier, who was pregnant at the time with their son, was not aware of this until Van Damme publicly admitted it in 2012. After leaving LaPier, Van Damme remarried bodybuilder Portugues in 1999, and they later separated again. In early 2015, Portugues has filed for a second divorce from Van Damme – citing irreconcilable differences. However, in May 2015 they appeared to have reconciled and called off the divorce.