13th
Jean-Claude Van Damme hits on 22-year-old Newsweek reporter during interview.
In a recent Q&A session, Jean-Claude Van Damme told the 22-year-old female Newsweek reporter interviewing him, and I quote, “I would love to be naked in front of you.” A few commenters—probably empty-nester Moms with recent college grad daughters of their own who used to fantasize about JCVD during the 80s—accused The Muscles from Brussels of sexual harassment (prounounced hair-us-ment). Me? I accuse Jean-Claude of being himself.
Just like he does in his new film, “JCVD,” about how a fictionalized version of himself, down-and-out on his luck and out of money from child custody court hearings, ends up in the middle of a bank robbery. It’s getting rave reviews from critics, and is currently in a limited theatrical release here in the US—the first time JCVD has been on the American big screen since his ill-recieved sequel to Universal Soldier. Did I mention the rave reviews? Seriously, no joke.
It appears that Van Damme is on a comeback (or Comme Back?). And you can imagine that old confidence—the self-assuredness he developed by dominating the box office with a series of revenge-plotted martial arts masterpieces—is bulging his bikini briefs once again. Although it’s been more than twenty years since Bloodsport was released, his muscles look just as well-developed. At 48, he looks just as ready to drop into the splits and punch a Sumo wrestler in the balls as he did while in his 20s.
And with the body of a 25-year-old comes the mind of one. You’re as old as you feel, right? With that in mind, it makes perfect sense that he’d proposition a 22-year-old in a conversation, regardless of her affiliation with a well-read periodical and or that she began by saying her questions were “on the record.”
But what are the reporter’s thoughts about it? She doesn’t provide any commentary in the article, sadly. I’m going to assume she was flattered. What woman wouldn’t be? He’s an international sex icon! But she should also be thankful that he hit on her. ‘Cause if he’d kicked on her, her story would have been in the obituaries.
