Gleb Savchenko Seeks Emergency Custody of Daughter Amid Hong Kong Dispute

When does a temporary move abroad become a permanent relocation? According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, Gleb Savchenko, a pro on "Dancing with the Stars", is asking a court to decide. He has filed for an emergency child custody order for his daughter Olivia, alleging his ex-wife, Elena Samodanova, has kept their two daughters in Hong Kong past an agreed-upon date.

Instead, Gleb alleges Elena has "obtained permanent Hong Kong residency, enrolled the children in an expensive private school, got the children a cat, became engaged, and had another child with her fiancé.", establishing a new life without his consent.

The Legal Battle

In his filing, Gleb states "This has functionally forced me to travel to Hong Kong each year to visit my children, which I have consistently done despite Elena's efforts taken to drastically limit my access to our daughters.". He is now asking a judge for "temporary sole legal and sole physical custody" of Olivia, with no visitation for Elena, pending a hearing. According to the legal documents, Gleb claims Olivia does not want to be in Hong Kong with her mother, and it's in her best interest to live in and attend school in Los Angeles.

Elena Samodanova has fired back at the claims, denying she abducted their children. The court will now weigh Gleb's emergency request against her rebuttal, setting the stage for a high-stakes international custody fight.