Dancing With the Stars pro Gleb Savchenko is addressing his ongoing and contentious custody battle with ex-wife Elena Samodanova after a previously scheduled custody hearing was postponed.
“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,” Savchenko, 42, exclusively told Us after appearing in court on Tuesday, August 18. “I just want to save my kid, you know, that’s all.”
Earlier in the day, Savchenko joined his attorney Mark Karney in a Los Angeles courtroom for a pre-scheduled hearing in regards to the custody of 15-year-old daughter Olivia, who he shares with Samodanova, 43. (The exes also share daughter Zlata, 9.)
According to Savchenko, Olivia wants to stay with him in Los Angeles and attend a local high school. Samodanova is arguing that her teen daughter should remain at her current home in Hong Kong.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Samodanova experienced continued difficulty when attempting to maintain her internet connection. Due to time constraints, a judge postponed the custody hearing until Thursday, August 20, citing the technical difficulties.
Before court, Savchenko’s attorney expressed optimism that a judge would make a temporary order after hearing both sides’ legal arguments.
“One never actually knows what will happen in family law cases as there are always twists and turns,” Karney exclusively told Us on Monday, August 17. “However, Olivia’s best interests must be addressed, and that needs to happen tomorrow because her mother has prevented her from attending school.”
He continued, “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. 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.”
Samodanova, however, fired back at Karney’s claims and argued she has been Olivia’s primary caregiver since she was born.
“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,” Samodanova said in an exclusive statement to Us on Monday. “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.”
Samodanova alleged that the custody battle has disrupted two “extremely important parts of Olivia’s life,” including the beginning of her two-year IB diploma program after years of preparation.
She also claimed her daughter’s “highly competitive, world-class dance career has been abruptly interrupted.”
“My concern is not about criticizing her father personally,” Samodanova said. “It is about ensuring that Olivia has the structure and consistency she needs to thrive.”
She continued, “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. 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.”
