Inside Gleb Savchenko's Child Custody Dispute With Ex-Wife Elena Samodanova Nearly 5 Years After Their Divorce

Gleb Savchenko and his ex-wife, Elena Samodanova, are embroiled in a new dispute.

The ex-couple finalized their divorce in October 2021 after 14 years of marriage. At the time, they agreed to share joint legal and physical custody of their daughters, Olivia, 15, and Zlata, 8.

But nearly five years after they ended their marriage, the Dancing With the Stars pro and his ex-wife are facing another round of conflict.

On October 22, 2021, a judge finalized Savchenko and Samodanova's divorce following their November 2020 split. A few months later, Samodanova requested an amendment to their custody agreement, alleging Savchenko was "not available to take care" of their children. A hearing was set for March 2022 before the conclusion of Savchenko's DWTS tour, per Us Weekly.

Then, in 2023, Samodanova and their daughters moved to Hong Kong, with Savchenko frequently flying to visit them.

"It's really, really hard to stay connected because of the time difference. But I try my best," Savchenko told Us Weekly in July 2024. "I visited them during Christmas. I took them to Thailand for three weeks. … I think my ex-wife [is] a great mom and she loves her girls. She does so much for them."

In the Los Angeles Superior Court filing submitted on July 13, Savchenko requested emergency custody of his and Samodanova's teenage daughter and accused his ex-wife of failing to return to the U.S. with their daughters by the agreed-upon date.

Their June 2023 post-judgment agreement stated their daughters were allowed to temporarily live with their mother in Hong Kong for "one year."

"Instead, she has remained in Hong Kong, 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," he claimed in the filing. "Elena has essentially established her life with her fiancé and our children, in Hong Kong, without my permission that they remain with her in Hong Kong."

Savchenko added, "This has functionally forced me to travel to Hong Kong each year to visit the children, which I have consistently done despite Elena's efforts taken to drastically limit my access to our daughters."

The father-of-two said their older daughter, who is staying with him in Los Angeles, may "suffer irreparable harm" if she were to return to Hong Kong.

"Olivia does not want to be in the position of having to confront her mother considering Elena's recent abusive comments to our daughter, including that she is a 'disgrace' to the family and other disparaging comments," the filing continued. "Olivia has expressed unequivocally, that she does not want to return to Hong Kong nor has any desire to live with her mother."

In response, Samodanova accused Savchenko's attorney of misrepresenting their "family's reality."

"As Olivia's primary caregiver, I have raised her every day while Gleb worked full-time on DWTS. Today, Olivia thrives in Hong Kong. She attends a top school and is an elite ballroom dancer," she told TMZ.

"Gleb's actions directly jeopardize her future, education, and athletic progress. California lacks jurisdiction over our daughter," Samodanova continued. "Hong Kong is Olivia's permanent home and legal residency. Ironically, Gleb himself holds a Permanent Resident card there. Olivia was scheduled to return to Hong Kong on June 5th, but her father wrongfully canceled her ticket without my permission. This is a wrongful international retention."

Samodanova described Savchenko's filing as a "rushed attempt to bypass proper laws."

She then asked the court to "halt temporary orders and grant a continuance so my counsel can present Olivia's permanent records through the correct legal channels."