Gleb Savchenko Asks Court for Emergency Custody, Says His Ex Kept Their Girls in Hong Kong

"Dancing with the Stars" pro Gleb Savchenko filed for an emergency child custody order in Los Angeles on July 14, seeking temporary sole custody of his 15-year-old daughter Olivia, according to legal documents obtained by TMZ. He alleges his ex-wife, Elena Samodanova, kept their two daughters — Olivia and 8-year-old Zlata — in Hong Kong past the return date the former couple had agreed to: under a 2023 post-judgment agreement, the girls' relocation was a one-year arrangement, with a return set for June 30, 2024.

Instead of returning, Gleb alleges, Elena 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" — establishing a new life without his consent.

The Legal Battle

In his filing, Gleb states, "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." He is now asking a judge for "temporary sole legal and sole physical custody" of Olivia, with no visitation for Elena, pending a hearing. According to the legal documents, Gleb claims Olivia does not want to be in Hong Kong with her mother, and it's in her best interest to live in and attend school in Los Angeles.

Elena Samodanova has fired back, denying that keeping the girls in Hong Kong amounts to abduction. "Olivia thrives in Hong Kong," she said in response to the filing, describing herself as the daughters' primary caregiver — and she has countered that it was Gleb who canceled Olivia's return ticket, calling that "wrongful international retention." The court has ordered the former couple into mediation on August 5, with a hearing set for August 18.