Gleb Savchenko denies hiding daughter amid custody dispute

Dancing with the Stars professional Gleb Savchenko has denied allegations that he is hiding his 15-year-old daughter, Olivia, from her mother, Elena Samodanova. The dispute arose following court documents in which Samodanova requested assistance from authorities to locate Savchenko and Olivia in Los Angeles, claiming she could no longer reach her daughter via her Hong Kong phone number.

Savchenko stated that Olivia is safe and remains in contact with her mother, noting that the teenager is nearly 16 and uses Instagram for communication. He characterized the situation as an ongoing family court matter regarding custody and residency, asserting that he is addressing the issues through legal channels and his attorneys.

The legal conflict involves disagreements over where the children should reside. Samodanova has sought to have Olivia returned to Hong Kong, while Savchenko has filed for emergency child custody, alleging that Samodanova has attempted to keep his children in Hong Kong since 2023. Savchenko maintains that Olivia wishes to remain in Los Angeles to attend school.