Gladys Portugues (born September 30, 1957) is an American former professional female bodybuilder and actress.
She is married to Belgian actor and martial artist Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Born of Puerto Rican parents, Portugues has said that she was inspired to start her own bodybuilding and weight training regimen while attending Marymount Manhattan College, when she saw Rachel McLish on television winning the Ms. Olympia title.
[citation needed] In 1987, at the age of thirty, Portugues married Belgian martial artist and actor Jean-Claude van Varenberg.
[2] Her husband is professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme.