Professional dancer Gleb Savchenko has responded forcefully to allegations from his ex-wife Elena Samodanova, asserting in new court filings that claims of authorities searching for him and their daughter are false.
Court documents filed Wednesday reveal the Dancing with the Stars performer's sharp rebuttal to Samodanova's previous assertions. According to the filing, Savchenko characterizes his former wife's allegations as a "total lie," according to TMZ.com.
The dancer maintains that Samodanova is fully aware of both his residence and the location of their 15-year-old daughter, Olivia. The court documents indicate the teenager has communicated with her mother on multiple occasions since choosing to stay in California with her father.
Central to the dispute is Samodanova's earlier claim that the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office was taking steps to locate Savchenko and Olivia. The dancer's legal response challenges this characterization, arguing it creates a false impression that he is concealing their daughter's whereabouts and evading law enforcement.
Savchenko describes such allegations as "simply outrageous and a total lie," according to the court filing obtained by TMZ.com.
The documents further assert that Olivia, who is approaching her 16th birthday, has independently decided to restrict communication with her mother. According to Savchenko's filing, the teenager changed her phone number on her own initiative and chose not to provide the new contact information to Samodanova.
Samodanova's position, as previously reported, centers on the claim that Olivia was scheduled to return to Hong Kong on July 9 but failed to do so. The mother states she can currently contact her daughter only through Instagram and does not possess knowledge of Olivia's current residential address.
The dancer previously stated to TMZ.com that Olivia is safe and that he is not avoiding authorities. He emphasized that the custody matter is being addressed through proper legal channels in the court system.
The ongoing custody dispute between the former couple continues to unfold in court, with both parties presenting conflicting accounts of the circumstances surrounding their teenage daughter's current living arrangements.