Gleb Savchenko is pushing back against claims that authorities are trying to locate him and his teenage daughter amid his increasingly contentious custody dispute with ex-wife Elena Samodanova.
The Dancing With the Stars pro said in a new court filing that Samodanova knows where he lives and where their 15-year-old daughter, Olivia, is staying. According to TMZ, Savchenko called any suggestion that he is hiding with Olivia and avoiding authorities “simply outrageous and a total lie.”
Samodanova has given the court a different account. She said she does not know Olivia’s current residential address and can communicate with her only through Instagram. Her filing also included correspondence showing that a request she submitted through Hong Kong’s Department of Justice had been referred to a California District Attorney’s office for processing, according to documents reviewed by Us Weekly.
Savchenko says that process has been characterized inaccurately. He maintains that Olivia is safe, that Samodanova has communicated with their daughter and that the larger dispute over where Olivia should live is already being addressed through the family court system.
Savchenko Says His Ex Knows Where Olivia Is Staying
In his latest filing, Savchenko said Samodanova knows both his home address and Olivia’s location. He also claimed that mother and daughter have spoken several times since Olivia decided she wants to remain in California with him.
Savchenko specifically objected to what he described as Samodanova’s claim that the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office was taking steps to locate him and Olivia. He argued that the characterization creates the false impression that he is concealing their daughter or evading authorities.
He disputed Samodanova’s account of Olivia’s phone access as well. Savchenko said Olivia, who is nearly 16, changed her phone number herself and chose not to give the new number to her mother.
Samodanova’s filing presents a different version. She said Olivia’s Hong Kong phone number had stopped working and submitted messages in which she repeatedly asked Savchenko for the teenager’s new number. In one exchange included in the filing, Savchenko allegedly told her that he had passed along those requests but that Olivia had chosen not to provide the number. He said he was respecting his daughter’s wishes.
Samodanova Sought Help Returning Olivia to Hong Kong
Samodanova said Olivia arrived in Los Angeles on May 29 and was expected to return to Hong Kong in July. According to Us Weekly, she submitted an apparent email exchange in which Savchenko agreed that Olivia would fly back on July 9 after attending a Dancing With the Stars event the previous day. Olivia did not return to Hong Kong.
Samodanova subsequently filed a separate “request for return of child” with the Central Authority of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, which is part of Hong Kong’s Department of Justice.
Correspondence included in her California filing said the matter had been “referred to the California District Attorney’s office for processing.” A Hong Kong Department of Justice representative further wrote that once the father and child had been located, the U.S. Central Authority would be able to determine the next legal steps.
“There is a lot of context missing from what has been alleged,” Savchenko previously told TMZ. “Olivia is safe, she is not being hidden, and I am not avoiding authorities.” He said the matter involves longstanding custody and residency disagreements and that he is handling it through his lawyers and the appropriate legal proceedings.
The Former Couple Disagree Over Where Olivia Should Live
The current custody fight became public in July when Savchenko sought temporary sole legal and physical custody of Olivia and permission to enroll her in a Los Angeles-area high school.
Court documents obtained by PEOPLE showed that Savchenko claimed Samodanova’s move to Hong Kong with their daughters was originally supposed to be temporary. He alleged that they had agreed in June 2023 that the children would return to the United States by June 30, 2024, but said Samodanova instead established a permanent life in Hong Kong.
Samodanova denies that characterization. She maintains that Hong Kong is Olivia’s permanent home and legal residence and has accused Savchenko of wrongfully retaining their daughter in California. She has also objected to his attempt to enroll Olivia in a California high school.
Savchenko, meanwhile, says Olivia has made clear that she wants to remain with him and attend school in California. His attorney previously told Entertainment Weekly that the case is about allowing the children to have their wishes heard while Savchenko maintains that they were supposed to return to California after the agreed period abroad.
Savchenko Wants the Court to Reject Samodanova’s Latest Objection
The disagreement now extends to the procedure surrounding Samodanova’s latest filing. Us Weekly reported that Savchenko asked the California Superior Court on August 10 to strike or decline to consider her objection to his custody request.
His attorneys argued that California procedure required opposition papers to be filed and served at least nine court days before the hearing. They claimed Samodanova’s objection was not served until August 8, leaving Savchenko with only six court days of notice before the scheduled August 18 hearing.
His legal team also alleged that Samodanova submitted multiple versions of the objection over several days and that the documents contained conflicting differences. For those reasons, Savchenko asked the judge to strike or decline to consider her request to have Olivia returned to Hong Kong.
Samodanova has made clear that she opposes his proposed custody change. According to the court documents reported by Us Weekly, she said she does not consent to a modification of the existing orders, a change in custody or Olivia’s enrollment in a California school. Savchenko and Samodanova separated in 2020 after 14 years of marriage and finalized their divorce in October 2021.