Gleb Savchenko is addressing his custody after attending a court hearing.
The 42-year-old Dancing with the Stars pro filed an emergency custody request last month, claiming his ex-wife, Elena Samodanova, was keeping their children in Hong Kong longer than they were supposed to.
According to his initial claim, Gleb said that Elena signed an agreement to temporarily move their daughters to Hong Kong with her so she could work on a job in 2023. However, they never moved back.
Elena responded, saying Gleb‘s actions “directly jeopardize her future, education, and athletic progress. California lacks jurisdiction over our daughter.”
Gleb says their oldest daughter, Olivia, 15, wants to stay with him in Los Angeles and go to high school there, but Elena says she should remain in Hong Kong.
In his initial request, Gleb said Olivia was currently with him in California and wanted to stay there. He is seeking “temporary sole legal and sole physical custody” of Olivia, with no visitation from Elena.
While speaking with Us Weekly after Tuesday’s (August 18) hearing, Gleb says he feels frustrated but good.
“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 [our daughter] 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 told the publication. “I just want to save my kid, you know, that’s all.”
Us Weekly reports that during the hearing, Elena “experienced continued difficulty when attempting to maintain her internet connection,” and the judge postponed the hearing until Thursday (August 20).
Prior to the court hearing, Gleb‘s attorney, Mark Karney, was optimistic about a temporary order after the judge hears both sides.
“One never actually knows what will happen in family law cases as there are always twists and turns,” he said. “However, Olivia’s best interests must be addressed, and that needs to happen tomorrow because her mother has prevented her from attending school.”
“Again, 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,” he continued. “Some parents, I have learned, refuse to allow their children to make decisions and want to control every aspect of a child’s life. Unfortunately, this is just one of those cases.”
Elena hit back, noting she’s been Olivia‘s primary caregiver since birth.
“My heart is broken by what is happening. My concern is not about winning a public argument. It is about protecting my daughter’s well-being, stability, education and future,” she told Us Weekly. “Olivia loves both of her parents deeply, and her father is an important part of her life. I respect that relationship and always will. But loving both parents should never require a child to be placed in the middle of a legal or public battle. As her parents, we have a responsibility to put her future ahead of our disagreements.”
Elena, who is also a professional dancer, says the custody battle has disrupted two “extremely important parts of Olivia’s life,” including the start of her two-year IB diploma program and her “highly-competitive, world-class dance career.”
“My concern is not about criticizing her father personally,” she says. “It is about ensuring that Olivia has the structure and consistency she needs to thrive.”
“Above everything else, Olivia is my daughter, not a headline. I love her unconditionally, and I am here for her regardless of what happens between the adults,” Elena added. “She deserves a safe and stable home, continuity in her education, the opportunity to continue the world-class dance career she has worked so hard to build and the freedom to love both of her parents without being caught between them. Her safety, stability, well-being, and future must come first.”
Gleb and Elena also share an 8-year-old daughter, Zlata, for whom he is not seeking custody.
Posted To:Elena Samodanova Gleb Savchenko