Former Dancing With the Stars professional dancer Gleb Savchenko has lost a court battle for temporary sole custody of his 15-year-old daughter Olivia, after a Los Angeles judge ordered her immediate return to her mother in Hong Kong.
The ruling followed a September 15 hearing in Los Angeles, where Savchenko's ex-wife, Elena Samodanova, successfully fought to enforce an international child abduction treaty after accusing him of wrongfully keeping Olivia in the United States.
Samodanova bought a flight ticket immediately after the court hearing and flew back to Hong Kong with Olivia that same evening.
"Olivia is back home and safe now," Samodanova told the Daily Mail in a statement following the court order. "The judge ordered Olivia's immediate return home. I bought her ticket right away, and we flew out of LA that same night on the 15th."
She added that the 10-week ordeal had caused severe strain on the teenager. "After 10 weeks of wrongful retention and immense abuse, the toll on her is clear," Samodanova said. "She broke down crying the moment we landed in Hong Kong. But now, step by step, she is recovering."
Emergency custody request and abduction claims
The legal dispute began in mid-July when Savchenko, 43, filed a request for modification to the former couple's custody agreement. In that filing, he sought a temporary emergency order to have Olivia live with him in Los Angeles.
Savchenko claimed in his court documents that Samodanova had abducted their children and kept them in Hong Kong for two years without his consent. He also alleged that his 41-year-old ex-wife exercised wrongful retention over Olivia and their nine-year-old daughter, Zlata, and had taken them to Russia without his permission.
Samodanova denied those assertions, alleging instead that Savchenko had wrongfully retained Olivia after she flew to Los Angeles on July 9 for a planned one-week visit. She stated that Savchenko canceled Olivia's return ticket to Hong Kong and attempted to enroll the teenager in a Los Angeles school without her consent.
Hague Convention petition and return request
On September 1, Samodanova filed a petition in Los Angeles seeking the prompt return of Olivia under the 1980 Hague Convention, an international civil treaty implemented in the United States by the International Child Abduction Remedies Act.
Samodanova had relocated to Hong Kong in 2023 to pursue her dancing career and advance her daughters' dance education. A formal parenting agreement between the former couple was put in place at the time of her move.
According to court records, Savchenko filed a formal response on September 11 opposing Olivia's return to Hong Kong. He claimed that returning her to her mother abroad "would expose her to a grave risk of physical and psychological harm and would place her in an intolerable situation, based on a well-documented pattern of conduct by [her] mother."
Allegations of medication and psychological harm
Savchenko made a series of wild accusations against Samodanova in his court filings. He alleged that she was "pressuring or forcing Olivia to take weight-loss medication" and amphetamines without medical oversight or parental consultation, specifically "in connection with maintaining [Olivia's] weight for dance."
He further claimed Samodanova subjected the 15-year-old to derogatory comments about her body, including calling her "fat" and a "disgrace" to the family. Savchenko also alleged that Samodanova was "driving Olivia to train and work to the point of exhaustion," including when she was physically unwell.
In addition, Savchenko claimed Samodanova was "retaining money Olivia herself earned," had removed the door to Olivia's bedroom, and caused the teenager to suffer from severe depression and anxiety. He stated that Olivia had developed a habit of "drinking alcohol on a nightly basis and using drugs as a means of coping with and escaping the conditions" at her mother's home, warning the court of potential risks if she returned to Hong Kong.
Samodanova rejected all of Savchenko's claims in statements to the Daily Mail, calling them "all not true" and describing the accusations as "just empty words without any proof."
Text message evidence and crying photograph
On September 14, Samodanova filed a declaration in court that included text message exchanges between herself and 15-year-old Olivia. In those messages, Olivia alleged that Savchenko was forcing her to make certain statements by threatening to withhold a laptop, a phone, or school tuition.
The text messages showed Olivia telling her mother that Savchenko said she would be betraying him if she took Samodanova's side while he was feeding her, caring for her, and providing money. Olivia also texted that her father said she could leave at any time, but that he would not spend any more money on her, including for a flight home.
Samodanova noted in her court declaration that Olivia sent a selfie showing herself visibly crying during the exchange, accompanied by text reading, "Papa said I can go anytime but he is not spending any more money on me or anything even flight home."
Court ruling and immediate return to Hong Kong
Both parents attended the September 15 court hearing in Los Angeles, with Samodanova traveling in person from Hong Kong to face Savchenko.
According to hearing minutes obtained by the Daily Mail, the court determined that Olivia's habitual residence is in Hong Kong. The judge denied Savchenko's request for temporary sole custody and ordered the exes to attend mediation with Family Court Services.
Following the hearing, Samodanova criticized Savchenko's actions during the summer. "Our daughter went to visit her father for just one week," Samodanova said. "Instead of returning her, he canceled her ticket and used this painful situation for his own self-promotion. Olivia always wanted to return home to her mother, her sisters, her friends and her dance career."
Marriage history and current relationships
Savchenko and Samodanova announced their separation in November 2020 after 14 years of marriage, and their divorce was finalized in 2021. Upon their divorce, they agreed to share joint legal and physical custody of their two daughters.
Both dancers have since moved on to new relationships. Samodanova is now engaged to 31-year-old fiancé Vlad Kvartin, with whom she has welcomed a baby. Savchenko went public earlier this year with his girlfriend, OnlyFans model Kaitlin Trujillo.
Savchenko, who partnered with Hilaria Baldwin on season 34 of Dancing With the Stars, was not asked to return to the ballroom for season 35, which premiered on September 15.
The legal dispute between the former couple remains ongoing. Samodanova confirmed that another hearing is set for October 1 to address a "refund of my expenses and custody modification." The Daily Mail reached out to Savchenko's attorney for comment.
