Dancing With the Stars pro Gleb Savchenko has accused his ex-wife, Elena Samodanova, of unlawfully relocating their kids to another country.
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According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, Savchenko filed for temporary sole legal and physical custody of his and Samodanova’s 15-year-old Olivia. He also requested that Samodanova have no visitation.
In his request, Savchenko accused Samodanova of relocating Olviia and their other daughter, Zlata, 8, to Hong Kong. He said it was supposed to be a temporary move. She relocated the girls to an Asian country following the couple’s divorce in 2023.
However, Savchenko claimed his ex has “refused to return” to the US by the agreed-upon date.
“Instead, she has remained in Hong Kong, obtained permanent Hong Kong residency,” he said. “[She] enrolled the children in an expensive private school, got the children a cat, became engaged, and had another child with her fiancé. Elena has essentially established her life with her fiancé and our children, in Hong Kong, without my permission that they remain with her in Hong Kong.”
He also noted, “This has functionally forced me to travel to Hong Kong each year to visit the children, which I have consistently done despite Elena’s efforts taken to drastically limit my access to our daughters.”
The couple was married from 2006 until their separation in 2020.
Savchenko Says His Eldest Daughter Does Not Want to Live in Hong Kong
Savchenko further noted that his eldest daughter, who is currently with him, doesn’t want to live in Hong Kong. He said it was in her best interest to remain with him. He also wanted her to be permitted to attend school in Los Angeles County.
“Olivia does not want to be in the position of having to confront her mother,” he claimed. “Considering Elena’s recent abusive comments to our daughter, including that she is a ‘disgrace’ to the family and other disparaging comments. Olivia has expressed unequivocally that she does not want to return to Hong Kong nor has any desire to live with her mother.”
Meanwhile, Samodanova has denied all of Savchenko’s claims and insisted that Hong Kong is hers and the kids’ permanent home. She then accused her ex of wrongfully keeping Olivia in California by canceling her flight.
“The statement from Mr. Savchenko’s attorney misrepresents our family’s reality. As Olivia’s primary caregiver, I have raised her every day while Gleb worked full-time on DWTS,” she shared in a statement. “Today, Olivia thrives in Hong Kong. She attends a top school and is an elite ballroom dancer.”
She then slammed Savchenko by stating, “Gleb’s actions directly jeopardize her future, education, and athletic progress. California lacks jurisdiction over our daughter. Hong Kong is Olivia’s permanent home and legal residency. Ironically, Gleb himself holds a Permanent Resident card there.”
“Olivia was scheduled to return to Hong Kong on June 5th,” she pointed out. “But her father wrongfully canceled her ticket without my permission. This is a wrongful international retention.”
Samodanova said she is asking the court to halt the temporary orders and grant a continuance so her lawyers can present Olivia’s permanent records through the “correct channels.”
The exes have been ordered to attend a custody mediation on August 5.