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“Dancing with the Stars” pro Gleb Savchenko is seeking emergency custody of the two children he shares with ex Elena Samodanova, citing “exigent circumstances.”
The Russian dancer, 42, accused his ex-wife, 43, of child abduction and wrongful retention of daughters Olivia, 15, and Zlata, 8, in a July 14 court filing obtained by USA TODAY.
Savchenko and Samodanova, who are both dancers and were married for 14 years before their split in 2020, allegedly signed an agreement in 2023 allowing her and the kids to “temporarily” move to Hong Kong for one year and return to the United States by June 30, 2024. However, he says they never came back.
USA TODAY has reached out to Samodanova for comment.
What is Gleb Savchenko accusing Elena Samodanova of doing?
According to the filing, Samodanova has “obtained permanent Hong Kong residency, enrolled the children in an expensive private school, got the children a cat, became engaged, and had another child with her fiancé.” Savchenko says despite Samodanova establishing a life there, he never gave permission for her to do so with their children.
“This has functionally forced me to travel to Hong Kong each year to visit my children, which I have consistently done despite Elena’s efforts taken to drastically limit my access to our daughters.”
Savchenko is asking for “temporary sole legal and sole physical custody” of Olivia, who is currently visiting him in Los Angeles and allegedly “does not want to return to Hong Kong or to her mother’s care.” He is requesting Olivia be appointed a lawyer “to advocate and prevent her from suffering further harm and abuse committed by her mother.”
“Olivia does not want to be prevented from being with me, as her mother has controlled, dictated and limited over the past few years. Finally, Olivia does not want to return to Hong Kong, whatsoever or under any circumstances. She is afraid to do so,” Savchenko says.
He further alleges Samodanova has “secretly” taken the kids to Russia and Vietnam without notifying him and “recently threatened to take the children to Moscow, where they will ‘never see their father again.'”
“There is a serious risk of international abduction in this matter and Elena should be prevented from visiting and/or traveling with Olivia in any capacity,” Savchenko writes, adding that Olivia wishes to enroll in the upcoming school year in Los Angeles, increasing the urgency of the matter.
Savchenko indicates he also filed a petition under the international Hague treaty for the return of Zlata, alleging Samodanova “created a self-imposed rule that Zlata would not be allowed to travel to the United States or visit me in California, until she turns 16.”
In an email from Samodanova to Savchenko’s lawyer responding to notification of the filing, she said, “Please be advised that I absolutely oppose all requests being made by your client. I do not consent to a modification of current orders, a change of custody, or the enrollment of our daughter Olivia in a California school.”
The court has ordered the former couple to attend mediation on Aug. 5, and a hearing has been set for Aug. 18.
