Jean-Claude Van Damme and His Wife Have Been Married for 23 Years and They Prove That Love Can Be Renewed Even After Divorce

Like any other couple, Jean-Claude Van Damme and his wife, Gladys Portugues, have had their fair share of ups and downs. And while they tried living separate lives when faced with hard times, they realized that the love they had for each other was stronger than any obstacle that crossed their path.

The actor, martial artist, and filmmaker, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and the bodybuilder, fitness model, and actress, Gladys, tied the knot in 1987.

And they didn’t wait even a moment to start and expand their family. The same year, the couple welcomed their son Kristopher, and in 1990, the daughter Bianca made the family whole. However, 2 years after the birth of their daughter, Damme and Portugues faced a rough patch and decided to put an end to their union.

After the divorce, the Hard Target star dove back into the dating pond.

In 1994, Damme got married to former actress and model Darcy LaPier. He had his third child with LaPier, a son they named Nicholas. But their marriage, unfortunately, didn’t last long, and after 3 years, they divorced.

Damme and his ex-wife Gladys started spending time together again, realizing how strong their love for one another was. They decided to renew their commitment and re-married in 1999.

After happily spending 15 years together, problems started creeping into their marriage again.

In 2015, Gladys filed for divorce for the second time, stating that the reason for the split was their irreconcilable differences. Around 2 months after the divorce papers were filed, the couple decided to reconcile again for the second time.

They realized how much they loved each other and that divorce would be too hard for both them and their children.

“Couples have to work their stuff out together, no matter what, they have to grow. I’ve been divorced before, and it’s not fun for the children or the parents. If people could stick together, like in the olden times, the value would come back,” he revealed after they decided to give their marriage a third try.

And when he was asked whether they decided to stick together only because of their children, he strongly disagreed. “No. Divorce is simple — divorce is a word. And love is a feeling. It’s hard to mix both. We love each other.”

Do you believe in giving a second or even a third chance to someone in the name of love? If you’ve given a second chance to a partner, how did it turn out for you?