Actor Jean-Claude Van Damme’s son has been sentenced to probation after holding his roommate at knifepoint.
According to Fox News, 22-year-old Nicholas Francois Van Varenberg grabbed a knife and threatened his roommate after the man answered the door when Van Varenberg did not want him to.
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The incident took place in 2017, and it was reported that Van Varenberg was caught on security cameras punching an elevator. Police reportedly found him by following a trail of blood to where he was.
He was questioned by officers, but then they left only to return later after getting reports of loud arguing and banging coming from the apartment that the two men shared.
Van Varenberg pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct charge, and in exchange, prosecutors dropped charges of kidnapping, possession or use of marijuana, and possession or use of drug paraphernalia.
At this time, Van Damme does not appear to have commented on his son’s legal troubles. In addition to Van Varenberg, Van Damme has two other children: Bianca Van Damme and Kristopher Van Varenberg.
Following in her father’s footsteps, Bianca is also an accomplished kickboxer and has even co-starred in a few of his films. While speaking to the New York Post in 2016, she opened up about why she got into the business.
“I want to show little girls and little boys that you can be physical and feminine. That you can cross your legs at the dinner table and then kick ass in a nice, feminine way,” she stated. “Kind of like how my father brought martial arts to the mainstream for my generation — I want to continue that legacy.”
She also shared that she did not initially get interested in kickboxing when she was a child; rather, she opted to do other things.
“My parents let us do our own thing. When I was young, my mom pushed me into martial arts for self-discipline. I was 7 and like, ‘I can’t stand it,’” Bianca explained. “I stuck with ballet and [ice] skating.”
“As a teenager, I was so focused on speed skating, I wanted to be in the Olympics,” she went on to say, adding that an injury kept her from being able to continue in that sport. “I was stuck for a while. My whole life was skating. Then all of a sudden, I needed to find something new.”
It was at that point that she set her sights on martial arts and has since become an well-trained fighter, as well as an actress and producer.
