A resurfaced clip of action star Jean Claude Van Damme blowing up at his wife is causing a stir on social media amongst fans who are concerned for the actor’s health.
Being married to an international celebrity comes with its challenges. Now, add mental illness to the mix. No one knows this better than Gladys Portugues, who married the martial artist-turned-action star in 1987, a year before his diagnosis with rapid-cycling bipolar disorder. This is where their story gets more interesting, as the couple divorced in 1992 after having two children and reunited in 1999.
Like her famous husband, Gladys is an actress, fitness enthusiast, and former bodybuilder.
While he may have the edge in physical strength, a re-surfaced video from episode 5 of the “Jean Claude Van Damme: Behind Closed Doors” documentary (2011) circulating on social media shows that her resilience and patience make her stronger in the ways that matter most.
On the Shredded Union Instagram page, the couple is seen experiencing what seems like a maniac rant. He shouts at her with full resonance in his chest while she is as cool as a cucumber talking him down.
In his thick accent, he says that she interrupted him while he was talking to the cameramen.
She says that she knows but stops herself from fully explaining as he goes into a room to calm down.
The edited video cuts to him coming out of the door, and she immediately asks him, “You OK, babe?”
Wiping his tears, he walks over to her and hugs her, and she gently says, “I know,” before comforting him.
“Of all the people that don’t believe in God, any type of God… without God, I’m nothing,” he says to her, knowing that the recording is still rolling. He went on to explain how God saved him.
“After 5-6 years of being Los Angeles, I was pushing … pushing … pushing … pushing … and nothing happened,” he said, adding that eventually it got “to a point” he simply “fell down.”
He then said it was like “God pushed” him down.
“God wanted to see how much he can push a human being,” he sobbed to his wife. “I try my best [and] people were making fun of me,” before the video abruptly ends.
Sympathetic fans jumped into the comment section and championed Gladys for making him feel safe as he was falling apart.
“His lady is a real one. To hold him down, let him act out, then allow him to be vulnerable all in one take. Absolute gift,” one person wrote.
Someone else wrote, “His wife is a saint. Having a bipolar parent, it’s a nightmare disease and almost impossible to live with. It takes its toll on everyone it touches.”
Another added, “He’s lucky to have an amazing woman like her. She has a lot of patience.”
A fourth comment said, “Breaks my heart man. Praying for this man,” before another added, “This is true love what I belevie it.”
Whatever level of love it is, it is not easy.
According to an anonymous personal account on the International Bipolar Foundation website, loving someone with rapid cycling bipolar disorder can be extremely hard because the person is subjected to mood swings and extremely unpredictable behavior.
The unnamed person talked about triggers and explained that to love someone like her required a high level of understanding, communication, and self-care from someone who has to be willing to navigate the complexities of the illness.
Gladys seems to be willing, but that does not mean that it has been easy. She filed for divorce in March 2015, though she did not follow through, reconciling months later, according to The Washington Post.
In a longer clip of the video that shows what happened leading up to his outburst, he is passionately talking about how much she has been there for him.
“This woman’s been with me for years,” he can be heard saying. “When I wasn’t nobody. While I was driving a taxi and I stole food in the market because I didn’t have any money.”
The action star said he even took the couple’s first pregnancy test for their oldest son, Kristopher. The couple also share a daughter named Bianca. The “Blood Sport” actor has another child, with his second wife, Nicholas, born his fourth wife, Darcy LaPier.
“Then I left this woman because I did go on the Hollywood lifestyle. I didn’t know that jewel I was having. I’m so happy that Gladys forgive me for my mistake.”
She said, “Nobody’s perfect,” and he rebutted her, “You’re close to being perfect to me.”
As the couple gears up to celebrate his 64th birthday, he knows one thing for sure, through the ups and downs, the good and bad, addiction and sobriety, he has a ride-or-die that will be there for him.