Gleb Savchenko and Elena Samodanova.Photo: Paul Archuleta/Getty
Elena Samodanovais requesting full-time physical custody of her daughters, whom she shares with ex-husbandGleb Savchenko, as well as additional child support from him.
“[Savchenko] travels extensively as a professional dancer and is not available to exercise the current custody/visitation schedule,” Samodanova writes, later noting that the prior agreement was a 50/50 split, with each parent alternating physical custody every five days.
As such, Samodanova requests “primary custody of the minor children with alternating weekends, with first right of refusal when [Savchenko] is unable to exercise his custodial time.” She also proposes that Savchenko have two weekday visits with children.
Samodanova goes on to claim that Savchenko’s busy schedule has “made it impossible” for him to care for the children, “including assisting them with homework, taking them to school on time, putting them to bed at a reasonable hour and taking them to their respective activities.”
She also says their eldest daughter Olivia has struggled with her school work and “on at least one occasion” was left home alone.
Samodanova adds that her ex has various work commitments in 2022 that necessitate the custody change, including filmingDWTS,going on tourfor the show, conducting a dance camp in Mexico and being a judge on an upcoming season of the Swedish version ofDWTS.
“After I became aware of [Savchenko]’s work schedule and realized that he would not be able to take care of the children as we contemplated when we formulated our parenting plan, I proposed to [Savchenko] that the children live with me full-time duringDWTSseason and tour,” she writes in the court documents.
Samodanova continues, “I would make sure that our girls spend time with their father when he is available. My suggestion was based on our childrens' best interest because they need stability. Respondent insisted that our daughters remain with his nanny while he is unavailable and traveling for at least three months.”
Elsewhere, she requests that Savchenko pay her child support “based on the current financial circumstances of both parties” as well as her attorney’s fees in the sum of $10,000.
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Since the split, Savchenko has been open about maintaining a positiveco-parenting relationshipwith Samodanova. In March, Savchenko toldEntertainment Tonightthat the exes were trying tokeep things “fun"for their kids amid the divorce.
“We’re trying to move on, we’re friends, we’re co-parenting together, we’re on great terms,” he said at the time. “Co-parenting is fun. We made it a lot of fun for the kids.”
source: people.com
