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The renewed custody drama between Gleb Savchenko and his ex-wife, Elena Samodanova, is shaping up to be another nasty battle.

The former couple was married for 14 years from 2006 until 2020, when Samodanova accused the Russian dancer of multiple affairs. Now, they are trading abduction allegations over their eldest daughter.

The brewing legal war between Gleb Savchenko and Elena Samodanova comes a year after his highly publicized relationship with Brooks Nader ended.

Gleb Savchenko’s Ex-Wife Refutes His Abduction Claims

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Savchenko recently filed legal documents for an emergency custody request, in which he accused his ex-wife of abducting their children to Hong Kong. Samodanova did not take the allegations lying down, firing back with claims of the dancer being the real child abductor.

According to Samodanova, Savchenko’s claims misrepresented their family’s reality, as she has always been their children’s primary caregiver. The former couple welcomed two daughters during their union, Olivia and Zlata, with the eldest currently the focus of their renewed tension.

Samodanova explained to TMZ that she raised her daughters while the Russian dancer focused on his work on “Dancing With The Stars.” She implied that her parenting skills allowed Olivia to thrive in Hong Kong, where she allegedly “attends a top school and is an elite ballroom dancer.”

The Russian Dancer Was Accused Of Jeopardizing His Eldest Daughter’s Future

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Samodanova argued that her ex’s custody filing would ruin everything their daughter has built in Hong Kong, saying, “Gleb’s actions directly jeopardize her future, education, and athletic progress.” She also dropped a bombshell, claiming California had no jurisdiction over their daughter’s fate.

“Hong Kong is Olivia’s permanent home and legal residency. Ironically, Gleb himself holds a Permanent Resident card there,” Samodanova said. She reiterated that she wasn’t the child abductor in the case, stressing that her eldest daughter was meant to return to Hong Kong on June 5.

However, the media personality canceled her ticket without his ex-wife’s permission, which she claimed was “wrongful international retention.” She flipped the abduction narrative on Savchenko, claiming his emergency custody request was an underhanded scheme to bypass proper laws.

The ‘DWTS’ Alum Claimed His Children’s Relocation To Hong Kong Wasn’t Sanctioned

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Samodanova concluded her statement with her plans to stop Savchenko’s filing, noting she had implored the court for a continuance. She asked for a pause in the case to give her legal counsel time to prepare the necessary documents about Olivia’s permanent records and submit them through the proper legal channels.

Her response follows the entertainer’s emergency custody request, which painted a completely different picture from Samodanova’s claims. The Blast covered the story, reporting that the professional dancer had accused his ex-wife of deception, arguing that their children were never meant to live in Hong Kong.

According to Savchenko, he agreed to a temporary relocation to Hong Kong for Samodanova’s work in 2023. He claimed his ex did the opposite by obtaining permanent Hong Kong residency, enrolling their kids in an expensive private school, and building a new life in Hong Kong with her fiancé.

The Entertainer Wants Temporary Custody Of His Eldest Daughter 

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Savchenko confirmed that his eldest daughter, Olivia, currently resides with him and claimed the teenager wasn’t interested in returning to Hong Kong. He also accused Samodanova of hurling derogatory comments at their daughter, including calling her a “disgrace” to their family.

The entertainer painted his ex-wife as the problem, implying that she did not care about their children’s safety. He recalled her taking their kids to Moscow and Vietnam despite his protests about security issues. On that note, he implored the court for temporary custody of Olivia.

Savchenko added that he feared letting Olivia return to Hong Kong because of her mother’s “wrongful retention/abduction.” The court has since ordered the exes to attend mediation over their child custody issues on August 5, while a formal court hearing was scheduled later that month.

Gleb Savchenko’s Ex-Girlfriend Reportedly Leaves Over Infidelity

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When the dancer’s marriage ended in 2020, his ex-wife accused him of having multiple affairs, which eventually led to their divorce. Fast forward to 2025, where similar allegations reportedly caused the end of another relationship.

PEOPLE shared that a source claimed Savchenko’s whirlwind romance with Brooks Nader ended because she suspected he had been unfaithful. The speculations escalated when the model shared a post about needing a hug from her parents.

On the other hand, Savchenko seemed to enjoy the attention and shared a clip implying there was more to the drama. He mouthed along to the audio that said, “To everyone who watches my life and gossips about it, don’t give up. Season 2 is about to come out.”

Who will emerge victorious in Gleb Savchenko’s new custody drama?

The Gleb Savchenko’s Ex-Wife Flips Abduction Claims On Him After Emergency Custody Filing first appeared on The Blast