Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Son Arrested, Allegedly Acted ‘Crazy’ When He Held Roommate Hostage

Hollywood action star Jean-Claude Van Damme’s youngest son, Nicholas Van Varenberg, was recently arrested for allegedly holding his flatmate hostage at knifepoint.

According to a report from TMZ, Van Varenberg, 21, was arrested on Sunday in Tempe, Arizona, after police responded to a call claiming he had punched an elevator. Officers found a trail of blood leading to Nicholas’ apartment, and determined that the young man had injured his hand after speaking to him and his roommate.

About 20 minutes later, the roommate reportedly went after the officers, claiming that Van Varenberg had held him at knifepoint, apparently upset that he had called the police and let them into their apartment. Police returned to the apartment, where Nicholas Van Varenberg, Jean-Claude Van Damme’s son, was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful imprisonment. As officers had also found some marijuana with the knife Nicholas allegedly used, Van Varenberg was also booked for marijuana possession and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Citing arrest documents supposedly obtained from Maricopa County, Arizona law enforcement officials, Radar Onlinemade additional allegations against Jean-Claude Van Damme’s son following his arrest. The police documents claim that the arresting officer was “concerned” for Nicholas Van Varenberg’s mental health, as Nicholas was seen licking blood from his hand. The roommate also claimed that Van Varenberg was acting “crazy,” and that he was concerned that his parents would be “attending (his) funeral in two days” if he didn’t do what Van Varenberg was requesting. These demands weren’t specified in the documents, but they also suggest that the roommate escaped the apartment after Van Varenberg allegedly threatened him and held him hostage.

This isn’t the first time Nicholas Van Varenberg has been in trouble with the law in recent years, according to Radar Online. Records from the Maricopa County Court show that he was arrested and imprisoned for underage drinking on February 6, 2016. Nicholas pleaded guilty to the charges, and was reportedly ordered to pay a fine of $325. Later that year, on December 1, the budding actor was charged with “theft of services,” according to Tempe Municipal County records cited by Radar Online. Van Varenberg again pleaded guilty, and spent a day in jail for this second infraction.

As noted by The Independent, Jean-Claude Van Damme’s youngest son uses his real surname, unlike his older siblings, who have both used their father’s stage name. The young man’s mother is Darcy LaPier, a model and actress who was the third of Van Damme’s four wives. Nicholas had also dabbled in acting, appearing in his father’s film, Kickboxer: Vengeance, in 2016.

[Featured Image by Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office/AP Images]