For years, Gleb Savchenko and Elena Samodanova appeared to have moved beyond the bitterness of their split.
However, a custody dispute that stretched across continents has now exposed a far deeper conflict, one involving allegations of emotional harm, competing claims of parental manipulation, and a legal fight over where their teenage daughter truly belongs.
The drama, which began as Savchenko’s effort to keep 15-year-old Olivia in Los Angeles, ultimately ended with a court siding against his request, setting the stage for an even more dramatic chapter in the former couple’s long-running battle.
Gleb Savchenko’s Emergency Custody Bid Centered On Serious Allegations
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Gleb Savchenko’s latest legal push was built around claims that Olivia faced troubling conditions while living with his ex-wife in Hong Kong.
In court filings opposing his daughter’s return overseas, the dancer argued that she would face a “grave risk of physical and psychological harm” if she were sent back.
According to documents obtained by the Daily Mail, Savchenko accused Samodanova of pressuring Olivia to take weight-loss medication to maintain her appearance for dance.
He also alleged that the teenager endured harsh criticism about her appearance and was subjected to comments that labeled her “fat” and a “disgrace” to the family.
Beyond those claims, the 43-year-old alleged that his daughter was being pushed to train, dance, and perform to the point of exhaustion, even when she was ill.
According to him, she suffered from severe depression and anxiety and had turned to alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism.
Taken together, he argued, the allegations demonstrated “potential risks” associated with returning Olivia to Hong Kong.
Savchenko And Samodanova Offered Starkly Different Versions Of Events
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Samodanova didn’t stay silent about the accusations. Instead, she accused Gleb Savchenko of being the parent engaged in “wrongful retention.”
In a petition filed under the Hague Convention, she argued that Olivia travelled to Los Angeles on July 9 to visit her father but never returned home to Hong Kong.
According to court records, Samodanova alleged that Savchenko attempted to enroll Olivia in a Los Angeles school without her approval. She later told the Daily Mail that his accusations against her were “just empty words without any proof.”
Her legal filings included text messages she said came directly from Olivia. In those exchanges, the teenager allegedly claimed her father was pressuring her to make statements against her mother.
“Her father told her she would be betraying him and taking my side while he takes care of her, feeds her, and gives her money,” Samodanova wrote in her declaration.
She further alleged that Savchenko told Olivia “she could go any time but that he would not spend money on her, including for a flight home.”
Gleb Savchenko Suffers A Major Setback As Court Sends Olivia Back To Hong Kong
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As the dispute intensified, the case culminated in a September 15 hearing in Los Angeles.
Samodanova traveled from Hong Kong to attend the proceeding in person, where she faced her ex-husband in court. Among the materials submitted was a selfie Olivia allegedly sent her mother showing herself crying.
In the message attached to the photo, Olivia wrote, “Papa said I can go anytime but he is not spending any more money on me or anything even flight home.”
Despite the serious allegations raised by Savchenko, the court focused on a key issue central to Hague Convention cases: the child’s habitual residence.
According to hearing minutes, the court determined that Olivia’s habitual residence was Hong Kong.
The ruling dealt a significant blow to Savchenko’s effort to keep his daughter in Los Angeles through an emergency order. The court also directed the former couple to participate in mediation through Family Court Services.
Following the hearing, Olivia returned to Hong Kong with her mother, bringing the latest chapter of the international custody dispute to a close, at least for now.
More From The Blast
Samodanova Says Gleb Savchenko Missed Child Support For 10 Months
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The custody battle between Savchenko and Samodanova was already packed with accusations about parenting and Olivia’s future, but court filings revealed another dispute that had been simmering behind the scenes.
In documents obtained by PEOPLE in July, Samodanova alleged that her ex failed to make child-support payments for ten months before the situation was eventually resolved.
According to the filing, she said she was forced to seek “assistance through the appropriate child support enforcement authorities before payments resumed.”
In the same filing, Samodanova denied Savchenko’s claim that she took the children to Hong Kong without his consent, arguing instead that the move was mutually agreed upon after their divorce.
She maintained that Hong Kong remained the children’s home and legal residence. Samodanova also challenged Savchenko’s broader custody arguments. According to the filing, she accused him of wrongfully keeping Olivia in California after canceling her return ticket to Hong Kong.
Samodanova Revisits Infidelity Claims That Ended Their Marriage
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Long before the latest custody fight landed in court, the breakdown of Savchenko and Samodanova’s marriage had already played out in public.
After announcing their separation in 2020, Samodanova publicly accused Savchenko of repeated infidelity and spoke candidly about the impact it had on their family.
“Gleb’s ongoing infidelity and a recent inappropriate relationship has created turmoil in our marriage and absolutely torn our family apart,” she told PEOPLE at the time.
Samodanova also expressed frustration over what she believed had happened during the final months of their marriage, adding, “No wife should ever stand by and watch while another woman gifts her husband expensive presents, lures him out to dinners and seduces him at every turn.”
