Gleb Savchenko Seeks Emergency Custody for His Children
Gleb Savchenko, known for his time on “Dancing with the Stars,” has requested an emergency child custody order, alleging that his ex-wife has abducted their children.
According to Savchenko, his ex-wife, Elena Samodanova, took their two daughters, Olivia and Zlata, to Hong Kong in 2023 for what was intended to be a temporary relocation related to her job. They agreed the children would return to the U.S. by June 30, 2024. However, he claims that she is now refusing to send them back.
In his court filing, Savchenko noted that although Samodanova had signed an agreement for a temporary move, she has since enrolled the girls in a private school, gotten engaged, and had another child. He believes that she’s attempting to keep the children in Hong Kong without his consent.
“This has essentially forced me to travel to Hong Kong every year to visit,” he stated, mentioning that he has done so despite her limiting his access to their daughters.
He also expressed concerns about Samodanova taking their children to places like Moscow and Vietnam against his wishes, especially given the current conflicts in those areas. He alleged that they traveled for 20 hours by bus to a small village in Moscow, and suggests that Samodanova did not allow the kids to use their cell phones during the trip.
Savchenko has requested “temporary sole legal and sole physical custody” of their 15-year-old daughter, Olivia, with no visitation for his ex-wife until a scheduled hearing takes place. He mentioned that Olivia is now living with him in Los Angeles and prefers not to return to her mother.
“Olivia doesn’t want to face her mother due to Elena’s recent hurtful remarks, calling her a ‘disgrace’ among other negative comments,” he added.
He worries that sending Olivia back to Hong Kong could lead to what he described as “an international wrongful retention or abduction of Olivia.”
As for his 8-year-old daughter, Zlata, Savchenko didn’t formally request a custody order for her. A mediation session regarding child custody is set for August 5, followed by a formal hearing.
