Gleb Savchenko is speaking publicly about his increasingly contentious custody dispute with ex-wife Elena Samodanova after a Los Angeles court hearing ended without a decision.
The Dancing With the Stars professional appeared in court on Aug. 18 as he seeks temporary sole legal and physical custody of the former couple’s 15-year-old daughter, Olivia.
After the hearing, Savchenko told Us Weekly that he felt both frustrated and optimistic. “I just want to save my kid, you know, that’s all,” he said while expressing hope that the dispute could soon be resolved and Olivia could begin school.
Samodanova experienced repeated internet connection problems while participating remotely, and the judge postponed the hearing until Aug. 20. Both parents continue to argue that their preferred arrangement is the one that best protects their daughter’s stability and future.
Gleb Says Olivia Wants to Stay With Him in Los Angeles
Savchenko’s current request centers on his claim that Olivia has repeatedly said she wants to remain with him in California rather than return to Hong Kong. According to court filings previously reported by PEOPLE and Entertainment Weekly, Savchenko has asked for “temporary sole legal and sole physical custody” of Olivia, with no visitation for Samodanova pending further court involvement.
His attorney, Mark Karney, has argued that Olivia is old enough for her wishes to carry significant weight and that the unresolved dispute is preventing her from beginning high school in Los Angeles. “This is a case about a kid who is old enough to decide that she wants to live with her father in California, attend school here and has told her mother this a dozen times,” Karney told Us Weekly before the Aug. 18 hearing.
“I feel frustrated, but I feel good because the truth always wins and hopefully in a couple of days, we can figure it out and Olivia can go to school and be happy and live with me and visit her sister and her sister can come here and we can all live a good happy life with no problems,” he said.
Savchenko and Samodanova also share 9-year-old daughter Zlata. He is not requesting a California custody order for Zlata in the motion concerning Olivia, although Karney previously told Entertainment Weekly that Savchenko has separately filed a petition seeking Zlata’s return to the United States from Hong Kong.
The Parents Give Very Different Accounts of the Hong Kong Move
Savchenko and Samodanova, both professional dancers, separated in 2020 and finalized their divorce in 2021. Savchenko alleges that a 2023 post-judgment agreement allowed Samodanova to temporarily relocate their daughters to Hong Kong for one year while she worked on a project in the region. According to his court filing, the children were supposed to return to the United States by June 30, 2024.
He claims that instead, Samodanova remained in Hong Kong, obtained permanent residency there and established a longer-term life with the children. Samodanova disputes his characterization of the arrangement.
She has said Hong Kong is Olivia’s permanent home and legal residence and argues that California should not determine the teenager’s custody. She has also accused Savchenko of wrongfully keeping Olivia in California after what she says was supposed to be a temporary visit.
Elena Says the Dispute Is Disrupting Olivia’s Education and Dance
Samodanova offered a sharply different account to Us Weekly, saying she has been Olivia’s primary caregiver since birth and arguing that keeping the teenager in California threatens the stability she has built in Hong Kong. “My heart is broken by what is happening,” Samodanova said. “My concern is not about winning a public argument. It is about protecting my daughter’s well-being, stability, education and future.”
She emphasized that Olivia loves both parents and argued that the teenager should not be forced into a public choice between them. “Loving both parents should never require a child to be placed in the middle of a legal or public battle,” she said. “As her parents, we have a responsibility to put her future ahead of our disagreements.”
She said Olivia was supposed to begin a two-year International Baccalaureate diploma program after years of preparation. She also described her daughter’s competitive dance career as having been “abruptly interrupted.” “My concern is not about criticizing her father personally,” she said. “It is about ensuring that Olivia has the structure and consistency she needs to thrive.”
Samodanova added that she wants Olivia to have a safe and stable home, educational continuity and the freedom to maintain relationships with both parents without being placed between them.
Gleb Previously Denied Hiding Olivia From Elena or Authorities
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According to TMZ, Samodanova said in court documents that Olivia arrived in Los Angeles on May 29 and was expected to return to Hong Kong on July 9 but did not return. Samodanova said she had submitted a request to Hong Kong’s Department of Justice seeking Olivia’s return and had been told that the matter was forwarded to a California district attorney’s office.
She also alleged that she did not know where Savchenko and Olivia were staying in Los Angeles and that Olivia’s Hong Kong phone was no longer active. At that point, she said she could reach her daughter only through Instagram. Savchenko strongly denied that he was concealing Olivia.
“There is a lot of context missing from what has been alleged,” he told TMZ. “Olivia is safe, she is not being hidden, and I am not avoiding authorities.” He said the situation involved “longstanding custody and residency issues” being addressed through his attorneys and rejected suggestions that he had abducted his daughter.
“Any suggestion that I have abducted my daughter or am hiding her is not an accurate characterization of the situation,” Savchenko said. Savchenko said Samodanova knew where he lived and where Olivia was staying and characterized the suggestion that he was hiding from authorities as “simply outrageous and a total lie.” He also claimed Olivia had chosen to limit communication with her mother and changed her own phone number.
Karney told Entertainment Weekly that a separate petition had been filed seeking to have Zlata returned to the United States from Hong Kong. TMZ has also reported that Savchenko filed a Hague Convention petition related to Zlata’s return.
The Hearing Will Continue on August 20
The Aug. 18 hearing was expected to give the court another opportunity to consider whether a temporary custody order should be entered. Instead, technical problems intervened.
Us Weekly reported that Samodanova repeatedly had difficulty maintaining her internet connection while participating remotely. With the court running short on time, the judge postponed the remainder of the hearing until Thursday, Aug. 20.
Savchenko left court saying he remained hopeful. “I feel frustrated, but I feel good,” he said before adding that he hoped the family could “figure it out” within days.