DWTS dancer files emergency custody petition for daughter

Professional dancer Gleb Savchenko has filed an emergency request for sole custody of his 15-year-old daughter, Olivia, alleging his ex-wife, Elena Samodanova, has wrongfully established a permanent life for their children in Hong Kong. The legal filing, submitted to Los Angeles Superior Court on July 13, 2026, marks a significant escalation in a long-running international custody dispute.

Savchenko, a professional on "Dancing with the Stars," claims in court documents that he and Samodanova agreed in June 2023 that their daughters, Olivia and 8-year-old Zlata, could live with their mother in Hong Kong for one year on a temporary basis. He alleges Samodanova violated that agreement by not returning the children to the United States by June 2024. Instead, he states she obtained permanent Hong Kong residency, enrolled the girls in a private school, became engaged, and had another child, thereby establishing a permanent life there without his consent.

The dancer asserts that Olivia, who is currently staying with him in Los Angeles, has expressed a strong desire to remain in California and attend Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks when the new school year begins in August. He...