DWTS Pro Gleb Savchenko Loses Custody Bid Amid Ex-Wife's Counterclaims

A legal battle between former "Dancing With the Stars" pro Gleb Savchenko and his ex-wife Elena Samodanova has concluded with a court denying Savchenko's request for temporary sole custody of their 15-year-old daughter, Olivia. The ruling, issued on September 15, determined that Olivia's habitual residence is Hong Kong and ordered her immediate return to the city with Samodanova.

Savchenko had filed a request for modification of their custody agreement in mid-July, alleging that Samodanova had "abducted" their two daughters, Olivia and Zlata (9), and kept them in Hong Kong for two years without his consent. He claimed "wrongful retention" and accused his ex of taking the children to Russia without his permission.

However, Samodanova denied these claims and countered that Savchenko was responsible for Olivia's "wrongful retention" in the United States. She alleged that Savchenko canceled Olivia's return ticket to Hong Kong in July and attempted to enroll her in a Los Angeles school without her consent.

In response to Samodanova's lawsuit, filed September 1, seeking Olivia's return under the 1980 Hague Convention, Savchenko opposed the move. Court documents from September 11 revealed his claims that returning Olivia to Hong Kong would expose her to "grave risk of physical and psychological harm" and an "intolerable situation" due to Samodanova's alleged pattern of conduct.

Savchenko accused Samodanova of pressuring or forcing Olivia to take weight-loss medication, making degrading comments about her body and weight, and driving her to exhaustion through dance training and work. He further alleged that Olivia was retaining money she earned and that Samodanova had removed the door to her bedroom, leading the teenager to resort to "nightly alcohol and drug use to cope." He specified that the alleged pressure to take "amphetamines/weight-loss medication" was in connection with maintaining Olivia's weight for dance, without medical oversight.

Samodanova refuted these accusations, calling them "empty words without any proof." In a declaration filed September 14, she included text messages from Olivia suggesting Savchenko was pressuring her to make certain statements, threatening to withhold a laptop, phone, or payment for school if she didn't comply. One text from Olivia read, "...that her father told her she would be betraying him and taking my side while he takes care of her, feeds her, and gives her money," and "that her father said she could go any time but that he would not spend money on her, including for a flight home."

Following the September 15 hearing, where both parents were present, the court ordered the parents to attend mediation. Olivia then returned to Hong Kong with Samodanova.

"Olivia is back home and safe now. The judge ordered Olivia's immediate return home," Samodanova stated. "I bought her ticket right away, and we flew out of LA that same night on the 15th. After 10 weeks of wrongful retention and immense abuse, the toll on her is clear."

She added that Olivia broke down crying upon landing in Hong Kong but is now recovering. "Our daughter went to visit her father for just one week. Instead of returning her, he canceled her ticket and used this painful situation for his own self-promotion. Olivia always wanted to return home to her mother, her sisters, her friends and her dance career."

Samodanova and Savchenko, who divorced in 2021 after 14 years of marriage, had previously agreed to share joint legal and physical custody. Samodanova relocated to Hong Kong in 2023 to advance her dancing career and continue her daughters' dance education.

Another hearing is scheduled for October 1, which Samodanova indicated would address a "refund of my expenses and custody modification."