Jean-Claude Van Damme in Kickboxer | Photo: Kickboxer
Jean-Claude Van Damme has caused controversy by comparing men and women in same-sex relationships to dogs in what some have interpreted as a tone-deaf joke.
The action star was speaking on French TV when he made the comments over the weekend.
Appearing on the On n’est pas couche talk show on Saturday [30 June], he said: ‘Men get married, women get married, dogs get married… Everybody is getting married and everybody is getting divorced,’ reports Ouest France.
The Belgian actor’s words prompted laughter from the studio audience.
Van Damme’s On n’est pas couche appearance | Photo: YouTube
He was responding to fellow panelist and Gender Equality Minister Marlène Schiappa challenging him on his views about women, after he implied a woman’s place is in the home.
‘According to your theory, if a man marries another man or a woman marries a woman, how does that work?’ she said, at which point he made the aforementioned statement.
‘I have a lot of friends who are gay’
Schiappa immediately took Van Damme to account for his words. ‘I’m sorry, but this is not funny,’ she said. ‘This is the day of the Pride parade where people march to defend their rights,’ she said.
‘I find this shocking,’ she furthermore added. ‘There are people who are beaten and insulted because they are homosexual. We need to support them rather than mocking them, saying they are dogs.’
Van Damme attempted to defend himself by saying: ‘I have a lot of friends who are gay.’
He then attempted another joke – once again prompting laughter from the audience – saying: ‘If they want to get married, that’s OK. But the question is, if all the boys marry each another and all the women marry each other, how are we going to have children?’
Watch the show below:
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His comments follow scenes of homophobic vandalism at a rainbow crosswalk in Paris, the French capital, ahead of last weekend’s Pride parade.
Jean-Claude Van Damme has starred in action films such as Kickboxer, Street Fighter and The Expendables 2.
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