Thank you for the opportunity to meet and talk. We were delighted when you contacted the State Committee for Work with the Diaspora and came to meet us immediately. We are especially happy to see Kristopher in Baku.
Suada:
Thank you for taking the time to meet with us.
Let’s start with where and how you two met.
Kristopher:
My father visited Azerbaijan in the early 2000s. Even though he was here only for a short time, he fell in love with the country. He also met Suada’s father at that time. And when he came back to the United States, to Los Angeles, he told me that Azerbaijan was a very beautiful country with a great future. My father said the people here were very kind, they had a rich culture. I don’t know why, but he then told me that in the future I should definitely marry a girl from Azerbaijan. I was in a relationship at the time, so of course I said no, that was impossible. But years later I met Suada on Instagram. When I found out that she was from Azerbaijan, I immediately remembered my father’s words. We talked online for four years, became close friends, and eventually fell in love.
My father often had live broadcasts on Facebook and other social media. Once, on New Year’s Eve, when he was broadcasting live with 100,000 viewers, he saw a name on the screen and read it aloud, “Suada Hajizade”. But he couldn’t even imagine at the time that Suada was the daughter of his acquaintance from Azerbaijan. He wished her a Happy New Year, and Suada recorded that and saved the recording.
Suada:
I still have that video. I’ll never delete it.
Kristopher:
When she told me about that video, I couldn’t believe it, I thought she was joking. It was as if fate was bringing us together again in a different way. A few years later we decided to get our families together in Istanbul.
But why not Baku, why Istanbul?
Kristopher:
It was more convenient because of the visa issues. During the pandemic, neither my parents nor Suada’s parents could come to Belgium. Although we had already decided to get married at that point. Our relationship started online, and we saw each other in person for the first time in Istanbul, and three days later we were married. Our wedding was at the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Istanbul. Istanbul is a very beautiful city. But I really wanted to come and see Baku, because Dad told me a lot about this city. It was only two years later that I was finally able to do that. Six years after we met online, I came to Suada’s house for the first time, but I must admit that I saw it many times when we talked online. That’s how we met. It’s unbelievable, but it’s fate, God-given fate. We all probably believe in God.
Suada, when you met Kristopher, did you ever imagine that this encounter would end in marriage?
Suada:
Well, I liked him as a person, we were close friends, but since we lived far away from each other, I had no hope of meeting in real life, let alone getting married. When we were first getting to know each other, I didn’t even know who his father was. He never told me anything about that. He was hiding his last name and didn’t share pictures with his father. His Instagram page only had pictures of him, pictures of his motorcycles and art stuff. A few years later, when we started talking on the phone, he asked me one day if I knew who his father was. Of course, I said I didn’t. I thought back then, how could I possibly know his father? He asked, “But didn’t you find out in all these years who he is?” I said no. “Ask your father who Jean-Claude Van Damme is,” he said. I didn’t know him because of my age; besides, I spent a lot of time studying and playing music, I hardly ever had the time to watch TV, to watch movies. Sometimes I would play the piano for 10-12 hours a day. I asked my father who Jean-Claude Van Damme was. And he was watching a movie with him in it at that very moment. He showed it to me. I was surprised and I had no idea what was going on. I thought either Kristopher was messing with me or Dad was. I told my father that I had a foreign friend who was saying his dad was Jean-Claude Van Damme. Dad said it couldn’t possibly be true, that the guy must be playing a joke on me. My parents told me I shouldn’t talk to him anymore, they thought he was a liar. They wanted to protect me.
But later your parents gave you their blessing, didn’t they?
Suada:
The relationship grew, and he asked my parents for my hand on Facetime and even mailed me the ring.
So all this, the proposal, meeting the parents, happened online?
Suada:
Yes. We were getting to know each other even better. It was during the pandemic, there were no flights. We even lost contact for a while. Then we started talking again in the summer of 2020, and he told me he liked me.
Falling in love and proposing on social media… But things could be different in real life. Didn’t that scare you?
Suada:
He had over a million followers on Instagram and his account was verified. I knew he wasn’t a fake, he was real.
I mean, he could be different as a person.
Suada:
Over the years we had been talking, he would only talk about music and art. He was very cultured, very respectful. His respect for me, my family, my country was very important to me. I was surprised that a foreigner knew Azerbaijan, was familiar with our country’s culture. His father had been to Azerbaijan, and that sparked Kris’s interest in our country. When he began to learn more about Azerbaijani culture, I sent him photographs and videos, showed him our national dishes. He really was interested, and I believed his sincerity.
Kristopher:
I believed in the magic of this relationship. Again, when I saw an Azerbaijani name, I immediately remembered my father’s words and thought, I wonder if girls from that country Dad praised so much are pretty. And that’s how our adventure began. Let me tell you this about Suada: her eyes, her gaze give me confidence, and that confidence grows every day. I know that Suada can feel my soul, too.
Suada, you come from an ordinary Azerbaijani family, and Kristopher’s father is a world-famous star. Didn’t that scare you when you started a relationship? After all, you belonged to two different worlds…
Suada:
I didn’t think that we belonged to different worlds. It is not the profession, it’s the person’s soul that matters. We even have soulmate chains with our initials. When he sent me the ring, I sent him that chain. Our rings have the letters S and K on them. Even though Kris is from a celebrity family, every member of his family treated me with affection, very warmly, and they accepted me from day one. I didn’t think we were from different worlds, because his mother and father started talking to me. I also had contact with his brother and sister. The way they treated me made me feel like part of the family, too. They are very simple and friendly people. His mother even suggested I call her mom soon after I met her. Kris felt the same way.
Where do you live now and where do you plan to live in the future?
Suada:
I currently live in Baku, but I’m waiting for my US visa. I’ll probably be in the United States by the winter. Kris’s father’s family lives in Belgium, so we meet there. As you know, his father is from Belgium. That’s where I met his grandparents. I stayed in Belgium for three months and saw his grandparents every day. They respect their elders just like we do and want to spend more time with them. They were very sad when I had to go back to Baku. So was I—they accepted me as their own granddaughter. We would go out for a walk together every day, they would tell me about Belgian food and culture.
If you don’t mind me asking, what presents did you get for your wedding?
Suada:
Although their traditions are different from ours, they did send me wedding gifts. But I’d rather not say what they were.
How do they feel about grandchildren over there? Have they been telling you it’s time since you got married?
Suada:
Almost every day they tell us they are expecting grandchildren. But for now, I’m thinking about getting my visa and moving, I want to work there. I have a Bachelor’s degree from the Baku Music Academy and I am a President Ilham Aliyev scholarship holder. It is a big status for a musician. I have won various places in competitions in seven countries. Education is also a matter of principle for my parents. Maybe I will get my Master’s in the US. Kris suggests I should try working in the film industry. I am a musician, but I can also work in that field. I also might try music festival and competition planning.
Kris has a special relationship with culture. When we go on a long trip, we listen to music for 2-3 hours without talking. We discuss works of art. Once I saw a grand piano at an airport and started playing a piece by Vagif Mustafazade; he liked it very much. He makes sure to take a video of me every time I play the piano. He says he’s proud of me.
Kristopher, what line of work are you in at the moment?
Kristopher:
Like my dad, I am an athlete, my sport is Shotokan karate. Suada’s father is a Shotokan master, too, like my dad. These days I work mainly in the film industry. My brother and I have a company called Damme BROS. We write scripts, make films and act, look for sponsors… We are good actors, like our father. It would be fun if we made a film together. I also create 2D animations, very high quality ones. I’m always thinking about my career and making plans, I plan to make many films, I want my father, my brother and Suada to work with me. It’s very important for me that my wife is part of the that world. I hope we will have outstanding projects in the future. She is a pianist, a great pianist, she has a fine appreciation of everything, a great sense of scene. Throughout this year we have been practicing behind the camera. I wanted her to be able to capture emotions in a video shoot so that the viewer, the audience could feel those emotions. She is very talented and she does her best in everything. That’s why I love her so much.
Suada is also my social media manager. She runs my krisvandamoffical page, we are waiting for our “blue badge”. It’s a great platform for both of us.
There are people who work hard, make good money, but can’t become professionals. I don’t want to be like that. I am picky. Part of my daily routine is exercise, I work out every day, I have to stay in shape.
What your education do you have?
Kristopher:
I have a Master’s degree in animation. My parents would do anything for me, but I would like to do what I love: animation. I learned business mostly from my grandfather. He graduated from high school, went into business and created a great environment for my father and aunt. As for the film industry, film production, that was education by practice working side by side with my father, that’s how I got the knowledge and the skills.
The whole world knows your father, but what can you tell us about your mother?
Kristopher:
Both my father and my mother and good actors. Mom is also an artist, and she was a bodybuilding champion. My mom is a very talented woman, but very few know that.
Kristopher, how did your parents meet?
Kristopher:
My father saw Mom’s picture in a sports magazine in the late 1970s. He was living in Belgium at the time. He then told his athlete friends that he was going to marry this girl and become a famous actor no matter what. Nobody believed him. Years later, they met while filming in Mexico. Of course, Mom, being an athlete herself, was excited to meet him. There are even pictures from that time. My dad believed in the power of dreams, and Mom came back to New York thinking about my father all the time. She had been popular before my father got famous, but she ended her career after she had my sister and me. My parents were separated for a while and then married each other again the year Suada was born. They are also good friends now.
Do you think you are different from other people because you are Van Damme’s son?
Kristopher:
On the contrary, I am far from the “Hollywood games”. In the Hollywood world, you put on a mask, become a different person, you lie. But I have my own moral values I got doing karate, I never lie. I made mistakes when I was a kid, but I learned from my mistakes and never repeated them. My father always tells me that it is better to be sincere and honest than to “play a part”. A person should have no regrets about the things they have done when they get old. For me, my family comes first and my health second. And the things in the film industry are not more important than that. Suada will also see this when she comes to the United States, but the important thing is that she already knows and understand this.
What does friendship mean to you? Do you have many friends?
Kristopher:
A friend is someone who knows what you want and is always supportive. There are no real friends in Hollywood, but I have four or five good friends in real life. I can count on two of them, three at the most. They’re like brothers to me. My family members are also my friends. Overall, friendship is very important to me. It seems to me that in Azerbaijan the idea of friendship has a deeper meaning than in the United States. I think that serious friendships in the United States are only possible in the military, because people there go through a lot together. My advice to young Azerbaijanis would be to be very selective when making friends with foreigners. Or just making friends in general. For example, when I started a family with Suada, I followed the advice of my friends. Because they knew my past, my relationships so well. I have a close friend named Scott. We’ve worked on a lot of projects together. He is my friend who supports me through both good and bad times. When I asked his opinion of Suada, he said she and I were made for each other.
Suada:
Kris’s mom texted me yesterday: “Kris has changed for the better. When he’s with you, I can see the sparkle in his eyes. I love you very much.”
Kristopher, do you have any interest in the Azerbaijani film industry, in Azerbaijani art?
Kristopher:
I’m not familiar with the Azerbaijani film industry all that much, but I really want to make a film here. I would be proud to meet and work with local artists. My wife is Azerbaijani and I should contribute to this country in some way. It will probably be in the field of cinema, too. I would like to be part of Azerbaijani film culture.
If you were to live here one day…
Kristopher:
I won’t be able to move here for good. But Suada’s parents live here, it’s very important to me, and I can live here for a while. My whole life, 35 years of my life, has been about Los Angeles. But I’ve lived in different cities around the world, in Hong Kong, in Vancouver… Also Belgium, Germany, Spain, Switzerland and other European countries. I also love Asian countries, but I think our second home could be Japan. I’ve been to many cities in Japan, I love it very much. I also want to go to Australia and New Zealand.
How many children do you want?
Kristopher:
Three—two boys, one girl.
Could one of them have an Azerbaijani name?
Suada:
I think when I have a child, I will definitely give them an Azerbaijani name, too. I never told him that, but I’m saying it now. But the name should be easy to pronounce and write, easy to understand.
Kristopher:
One could have an American name, one Belgian, or Puerto-Rican.
Does Jean-Claude Van Damme have any plans to come to Azerbaijan?
Kristopher:
My father is very busy at the moment. But he will definitely come as soon as he can. Dad is a citizen of the world, he loves Azerbaijan and Azerbaijanis very much. He considers himself a universal person and strives to get to know the cultures of different peoples. Besides people, he loves nature, animals, and cares about the environment. That’s why he likes travelling. Since he has an Azerbaijani daughter-in-law, Azerbaijan is at the top of the list of countries he will travel to.
Suada:
My dad is also looking forward to his visit, they are very close friends.
People write about you a lot on social media. Does it bother you?
Kristopher:
I’m fine with that, with those opinions and attacks. But Suada is not. Everyone has an opinion, and sometimes there are reasons behind hatred. That’s normal. The important thing is that what they say does not and cannot affect our love. Our relationship with each other is more important than anything else. I am very happy, I am thankful that God blessed me with such a beautiful wife. People will accept us eventually.
Suada:
It bothered us when people voiced their opinions without even knowing us. They said we met on TikTok. And Kris doesn’t even like TikTok. They said our marriage would last two months. We promised then that we would prove our love was real. I was told that I was probably marrying him because he was Van Damme’s son. But, like I said, I hadn’t even known who his father was. People were saying it was all for the press, for publicity, for money… That really bothered me.
Does Kristopher ever forbid you anything?
Suada:
He just doesn’t want me to be outside after dark. There is jealousy as well—he believes me, he trusts me, but he still gets jealous. Even his grandmother and mother tell him, she is holding your hand tight, stop it with those thoughts. He acts like an Azerbaijani man. But I don’t forbid him anything. I trust him, too.
Kristopher:
We are like a pyramid, our foundation is strong.
Suada:
I try not to pay attention to what other people think. I know I have to be strong. Kris asked me many times if I was sure I wanted to marry him, because my life would change so much. I told him that I was sure and had already made my choice. With him, I am stronger and ready for any challenge.
Before the interview, I couldn’t even imagine I would be meeting such an unassuming, sincere and warm-hearted person…
Kristopher:
When I’m in my nineties, I don’t want to regret anything I have experienced. It’s not easy when you come from a famous family. There are two paths. The first one is clean and well-lit, but boring, and the second is interesting, but messy. Many choose the clean path. Kevin Baker’s daughter thinks like me. We don’t like to put on an act for cameras.
How is your relationship with Azerbaijani cuisine?
Suada:
He loves Azerbaijani cuisine: qutabs, kebab, pilaf and especially dolma. But he is not very fond of dairy products. But after trying Azerbaijani dishes, he never forgets how important working out is.
What is your biggest dream?
Kristopher:
My biggest dream is to become an accomplished director. We should make the scripts that we wrote together with my brother into films. It is important to carry our father’s name with dignity, make use of the privileges it gives us but never tarnish it.
Aren’t you afraid that no matter how hard you work, you’ll always remain in your father’s shadow, that to the public, you will always be Van Damme’s son?
Kristopher:
I used to have those fears when I was younger, when I was an amateur. People still don’t know that I came out of my father’s shadow a long time ago, but they will learn from interviews like this one. People expect me to be better than my father, but they won’t let me be myself. They don’t want to give me a chance. My life philosophy is that a person has to find their peace. I find it in my wife, my family and my friends.
We know Van Damme as a strong and fearless man, basically like his movie characters. But what are Kristopher’s fears?
Suada:
When he was 19, he was stuck in an elevator for six hours, so he has a fear of confined spaces. He prefers not to use the elevator. He even walked up the stairs to his 75th floor apartment in Hong Kong for 35 minutes. He doesn’t use the elevator here either.
Can we talk about fear in a broader sense?
Kristopher:
We were raised Catholic, but I don’t consider myself Catholic. We all live in the same world. We all share the same world. We all have fears. For example, my father is more afraid of losing his family members than of his own death. That, too, is normal. He is also afraid that his children will fail. That’s why he does whatever he can for us. We are taught to accept and love other peoples. My father thinks the same way. The important thing is humanity. God is not to be feared, but loved.
We believe that our love will be an example for young people. So, in the end I have a piece of advice to give them. Don’t let society shape you to fit a certain mold. Follow your own dreams. My wife has been through a lot, too, so she talks to both young men and young women about how to be determined. We are all free to make decisions. Don’t let fear lead you to a place you might think is right but really is not. Believe in God and try to be happy.
Vasile Vahidgizi
