Gleb vs Elena Custody Battle | Durham News

Dancing With the Stars pro Gleb Savchenko is locked in a high-stakes custody battle with his ex-wife Elena Samodanova over their two daughters, with courts in Los Angeles and Hong Kong now tangled in the dispute. After agreeing to joint custody post-divorce, Elena moved the girls to Hong Kong in 2024, which Gleb initially supported — even calling her a great mom. But by 2026, Gleb filed an emergency order claiming Elena violated a one-year Hong Kong stay agreement and secretly took their younger daughter to Russia, calling it dangerous. Elena counters that she’s been the primary caregiver, that Olivia thrives in Hong Kong, and that California has no jurisdiction — also accusing Gleb of canceling Olivia’s return ticket. With a critical hearing set for August 18, 2026, the legal tug-of-war continues as the former couple’s fractured co-parenting threatens to upend their children’s lives. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/922bed9a5811ab3a