Steven Seagal granted membership to Russian pro-Kremlin party

close

Video

Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines for June 1

Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. Check out what's clicking today in entertainment.

Steven Seagal, a longtime supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was granted membership to a pro-Kremlin political party on Sunday. 

The actor, best known for his martial arts prowess and action films, has long been a fan of Russia and even became an official citizen of the country in 2016. Putin granted the actor his citizenship, which many believed was ushered along because he’s a fan of both Seagal and martial arts.

In a recent video for the Just Russia – Patriots – For Truth party, which Reuters reports was formed earlier this year when three leftist parties merged into one, the group announced Seagal’s membership.

In a speech to go along with his introduction into the group, Seagal called for a crackdown on businesses that he believes damage the environment. 

CHARLIZE THERON SLAMS STEVEN SEAGAL AS 'OVERWEIGHT,' UNABLE TO FIGHT AND 'NOT VERY NICE TO WOMEN'

"Without being able to arrest people, when we just fine them, they are probably making more money of the production of the things that are defiling the environment," the actor said in his welcome speech.

American actor Steven Seagal (front), chief instructor at the Russian Aikido Federation, poses during the International Aikido Festival held at the RMK Academy of Martial Arts. Donat Sorokin/TASS  (Donat SorokinTASS via Getty Images)

Reuters reports that the party controls a faction in the lower house of the Russian parliament and has plans to take part in the upcoming election in September. This isn’t the first time that Seagal has been given a bit of political power in Russia. In 2018, Deadline reports that the "Under Siege" actor was tapped by the Russian Foreign Ministry to be a special representative for Russian-U.S. humanitarian ties in an effort to better cultural, artistic and youth ties between the two countries. 

Reuters reported at the time that the actor traveled to Venezuela in this capacity and presented a samurai sword to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

News of his acceptance into the Russian political party comes as he continues to be plagued by allegations of sexual misconduct. In 2018, TheWrap reported that actress Regina Simons, who was an extra in his 1994 film "On Deadly Ground," accused him of raping her at a wrap party at his Beverly Hills home when she was 18. At the time, Dutch former model Faviola Dadis said she filed a report against the actor with the Los Angeles Police Department alleging he groped her during an audition in 2002.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Actress Portia de Rossi tweeted about her experience working with Seagal in 2017, tweeting: "My final audition for a Steven Segal movie took place in his office. He told me how important it was to have chemistry off-screen as he sat me down and unzipped his leather pants. I ran out and called my agent. Unfazed, she replied, ‘Well, I didn’t know if he was your type.’"