Gleb Savchenko seeks emergency custody amid dispute with ex-wife
The Dancing with the Stars pro is seeking sole temporary custody of his 15-year-old daughter
Dancing with the Stars professional Gleb Savchenko has filed for emergency custody of his eldest daughter, accusing ex-wife Elena Samodanova of wrongfully keeping their children in Hong Kong beyond the terms of their custody agreement.
According to court documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on July 13 and obtained by E! News, Savchenko alleges Samodanova violated a post-judgment agreement reached in June 2023 that allowed their daughters, Olivia, 15, and Zlata, 8, to temporarily live with her in Hong Kong for one year.
Savchenko claims the children were expected to return to the United States by June 2024, but alleges Samodanova instead established a permanent life in Hong Kong. According to the filing, she has obtained permanent residency, enrolled the girls in private school, become engaged and welcomed a daughter with fiancé Vladislav Kvartin.
The dancer argues he has been forced to travel to Hong Kong each year to see his daughters and claims his former wife has significantly limited his access to them.
The filing also states that Olivia is currently staying with her father in Los Angeles and wants to remain in California to attend Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks when the new academic year begins in August.
Savchenko is seeking temporary emergency sole legal and physical custody of the teenager.
He has also asked the court to prevent Samodanova from removing Olivia from the United States while the custody dispute is pending.
In his filing, Savchenko further alleges that Samodanova took the children to Russia and Vietnam without his permission.
He expressed concern about travel to Moscow amid the ongoing war in Ukraine and argued that returning Olivia to Hong Kong could lead to what he described as an "international wrongful retention" or abduction.
Samodanova has denied the allegations and disputed Savchenko's claims in a statement to TMZ.
She said their daughter has flourished in Hong Kong, where she attends a top school and competes as an elite ballroom dancer.
Samodanova also argued that California does not have jurisdiction over Olivia because Hong Kong is the teenager's permanent home and legal residence.
She further alleged that Olivia had been scheduled to return to Hong Kong in June, but claimed Savchenko canceled her airline ticket without her permission, calling it a case of wrongful international retention.
Samodanova has asked the court to pause any temporary orders and allow her legal team additional time to present documentation supporting her position.
The former couple, who were married from 2006 until their divorce in 2021, are scheduled to attend custody mediation on Aug. 5 before a formal court hearing later that month.