“Dancing With the Stars” pro Gleb Savchenko’s new relationship has become a flashpoint in his increasingly complicated custody battle with ex-wife Elena Samodanova. Samodanova raised concerns after learning that their teenage daughter, Olivia, was reportedly living in a property connected to Savchenko’s girlfriend, Trujillo. The professional dancer insists Olivia is safe and wants the court to consider the teenager’s wishes. Meanwhile, Samodanova is pursuing international proceedings to have her daughter returned to Hong Kong.

5

Samodanova claimed Savchenko only disclosed Olivia’s location after being ordered to provide the information. “My greatest concern remains Olivia’s safety and current living environment. Gleb disclosed Olivia’s location only after the Court ordered him to provide her address and contact information,” Samodanova told Us Weekly.

She added, “The address he provided confirmed that our teenage daughter is living in a property owned by his girlfriend, rather than in a permanent home maintained by him.” The outlet reported that it verified the address included in the court documents and found that it matched a residence linked to Trujillo.

Samodanova, who currently resides in Hong Kong, then addressed what she said she had learned about the homeowner’s career. “I subsequently learned that the homeowner works in the adult-entertainment industry. I do not judge her profession. My concern is Gleb’s judgment as a father and whether this is an appropriate and stable environment for our teenage daughter,” she continued.

Savchenko was first romantically linked to Trujillo in January, when they were photographed kissing following his split from Brooks Nader. Samodanova stressed that Olivia’s “safety, stability and future come first,” adding, “I will continue through every legal channel available to bring my daughter safely home.”

Gleb Savchenko Says Olivia Is Safe And Supported

5

Savchenko pushed back against his former wife’s concerns and argued that Olivia, who turns 16 in November, should have a say in where she lives. “My daughter’s safety, stability and well-being are my absolute priority. Olivia is safe, supported and surrounded by people who love and care for her. Most importantly, she is nearly 16 years old and has expressed her own wishes regarding where she wants to live,” he told Us Weekly.

The dancer said he intends to handle the dispute through the courts instead of continuing the public back-and-forth. “I respect that there are ongoing legal proceedings, and I intend to address those matters through the appropriate legal channels rather than litigating our family situation publicly,” Savchenko added.

He also expressed disappointment that his girlfriend and her personal life had been pulled into the custody disagreement. “I am disappointed to see unrelated personal matters and third parties brought into a deeply private situation involving our daughter. I will not respond by attacking Olivia’s mother or anyone else publicly,” Savchenko said. “My focus remains on supporting Olivia, protecting her well-being, and ensuring that her own voice and wishes are heard through the appropriate legal process.”

Judge Pauses The Los Angeles Custody Case

5

Savchenko secured a temporary procedural win when a judge stayed the Los Angeles custody case and declined to order Olivia’s immediate return to Hong Kong. The decision was not a final custody ruling. Instead, the California proceedings were paused because Samodanova filed an application under the Hague Convention alleging that Olivia was wrongfully retained in the United States.

“This is no longer simply a custody dispute,” Samodanova said following the hearing. “My daughter’s wrongful retention is now the subject of active Hague Convention proceedings, and the Los Angeles custody case has been stayed while that process moves forward.”

According to the Hague Conference on Private International Law, a ruling under the 1980 Child Abduction Convention concerning a child’s return does not determine the merits of the underlying custody dispute. That means the international proceeding will address the return and jurisdiction questions surrounding Olivia. It will not decide which parent should ultimately receive custody.

Both Parents Have Made Competing Allegations

5

Savchenko filed an emergency request in Los Angeles in July seeking temporary sole legal and physical custody of Olivia and permission to enroll her in a Los Angeles-area high school, according to Us Weekly. The dancer reportedly claimed the former couple had agreed that Samodanova and their daughters would move to Hong Kong temporarily, then return in 2024. Samodanova disputes his account and maintains that Hong Kong became the children’s established home.

She subsequently requested primary custody and alleged that Savchenko unexpectedly canceled Olivia’s flight back to Hong Kong. Savchenko, however, maintains that Olivia wants to remain in Los Angeles. Samodanova continues to argue that her daughter should return to the life she had been living overseas.

Neither parent’s allegations have resulted in a final custody determination.

Gleb Savchenko And Elena Samodanova Share Two Daughters

5

Savchenko and Samodanova share Olivia and their younger daughter, Zlata. The former couple ended their relationship in November 2020 after 14 years of marriage. They finalized their divorce in October 2021. Samodanova later moved to Hong Kong with the children and has since welcomed another child with her partner, Vlad Kvartin.

For now, Olivia will remain in the United States while the Hague Convention proceeding moves forward. The stayed Los Angeles case could resume after the international dispute is addressed, leaving the former couple’s larger custody battle unresolved.

Shaquille O’Neal has made a name for himself as an NBA legend, businessman, and entertainer, but he has his sights set on another challenge: action movies. The former basketball star has repeatedly expressed interest in landing roles in major franchises, including Marvel. Despite his enthusiasm, however, O’Neal says there’s one “big” obstacle standing in between him and his Hollywood ambitions.

3

Shaquille O’Neal has proven to be a true multi-hyphenate, building successful careers in sports, music, and business. The former athlete has ventured into acting, appearing in a few roles in the past.

O’Neal wants to add more action roles to his resume, but filmmakers and movie executives have repeatedly rejected him over the years. In an interview with Variety, O’Neal revealed why it has been difficult for him to nab an action role, or any role for that matter.

“I would love to do more action roles, but we were told by top Hollywood executives that I’m too big,” he explained. He stands at just over 7 feet tall, making him an unusual presence on the big screen, where actors of his stature are rarely seen. However, it may not be his height that remains a hindrance.

“What they mean by that is when I pop up on the screen everyone will go, ‘Oh, that’s Shaq!’ So, if I’m trying to play a doctor or anything, my character won’t be believable,” he said.

The Former Basketball Player Faced Rejection From Marvel

O’Neal was eager to appear in the “Avengers” franchise, once jokingly saying that he wanted to “kick Robert Downey Jr.’s a-s.” He decided to shoot his shot at landing a role, but unfortunately, he was rejected.

O’Neal said he talked to someone at Marvel who told him that despite how much they love the sports star and wanted to have him in a movie, they couldn’t do it.

“They were like, ‘Shaq, we f-ckin’ love you, and we’d love to put you in, but if your face pops up on the screen people are going to go, Hey, that’s Shaq!’ He said it truthfully, and I was like, alright… I guess my face is too bigtime,” O’Neal said.

Shaquille O’Neal Portrayed A DC Superhero

Despite being rejected for a role in “Avengers,” O’Neal got the chance to play a DC superhero, taking on the role of Steel in the 1997 film of the same name.

The movie centers on John Henry Irons, a brilliant engineer who creates a high-tech suit of armor and becomes the superhero Steel.

“Steel” bombed at the box office, earning about $1.8 million worldwide on a $16 million budget. Reviewers criticized O’Neal’s acting, while comic book fans slammed the filmmakers for straying from the source material. The film has a 4 percent rating on the Tomatometer and 19 percent on the Popcornmeter.

In 2017, “Steel” writer and director Kenneth Johnson said he was opposed to having O’Neal as the lead from the start, but the studio wanted to proceed. “He was a big persona and great role model for kids and all that, but he’s no movie star,” Johnson told Vice.

The NBA Star Has Several Movies In His Filmography

3

Before “Steel,” O’Neal appeared in starring roles in two movies, “Blue Chips” and “Kazaam.” In the years that followed, the NBA legend appeared in several other movies in minor roles or as a cameo.

Some of his other movies include “The Wash,” “Grown Ups 2,” “Blended,” and “Hubie Halloween.” He also appeared as himself in movies such as “Good Burger,” “He Got Game,” “Scary Movie 4,” “The House Bunny,” “What Men Want,” and “Hustle.”

Shaquille O’Neal’s Recent TV Projects

3

O’Neal is now setting his sights on appearing on the big screen alongside Dwayne Johnson. “I want to do a movie with The Rock so I can beat him up,” he said.

Meanwhile, he is busy with other projects. He founded a professional dunking league, with the search for the world’s best dunker set to be chronicled in the upcoming series “DUNKMAN,” which premieres August 25. He also executive produced the docuseries “Game Day Murders,” a true crime show that examines crimes in the sports world, which is currently streaming on Max.

Scotty and Lemuel Plummer had social media cracking up. It all started after Lemuel shared a video of Scotty chasing a bird and decided to make a joke that didn’t seem to go over well after the internet chimed in. Scotty wasn’t about to let him get the last laugh, and her response had the internet laughing more.

Related: Lemuel Plummer Responds After ‘Baddies Gone Wild’ Cast Member Files Lawsuit Alleging Sexual Assault & Wrongful Termination (PHOTOS)

Lemmy Calls Scotty A Bird

In a recent Instagram story, Lemuel uploaded a video of his child’s mother, Scotty, chasing a bird. While laughing behind the camera, he joked, “A bird and a bird, wow,” seemingly comparing Scotty to the bird she was chasing.

Scotty continued after the bird while explaining that she grew up with them. However, once she turned around and realized Lemmy was recording her, she reached toward the camera to stop him.

Lemmy later posted the video to his Instagram Story, doubling down on the joke with the caption, “Birds of a feather flock together lol jk,” followed by a laughing emoji and a red heart.

Scotty Turns The “Bird” Joke Into A Win

After seeing Lemmy’s post, Scotty took to her own Instagram Story with a little response of her own. She shared a video of Lemmy reading comments from people agreeing with the “bird” jokes. She then showed that she was inside a Louis Vuitton store with multiple purses sitting on the counter.

“A bird about to catch its meal,” she joked.

The video was uploaded to her Instagram story, where she followed up with, “Yeah, he plays too much, but I play more!”

Social Media Reacts

The exchange quickly sparked a range of reactions online, with some commenters giving Scotty props for the comeback while others questioned whether there was more to it than the playful banter.

Instagram user @bawselaydee wrote, “Bird bout to catch its meal 😂😂😂 she ATE”

Another Instagram user @ms_hankey_pankey wrote, “Show some property, not them bags, girl cause if he dip you can’t live in them bags 💼”

While Instagram user @chinxx.ii wrote, “Scotty doesn’t care as long as she gets gifts 🤷🏽‍♀️🥴”

Instagram user @0nly1booboo_ wrote, “She might be a bird with a lil sense”

Another Instagram user @cassidi_da_g wrote, Yall always think money is a flex, a n**** do whatever to y’all but as long as he’s spending it’s cool ig 😭😭😭😭😭 we doomed asf”

While Instagram user @rashonda_the_body wrote, “Just a bird with LV 😂😂🤷🏽‍♀️”

Instagram user @xohaley__ wrote, “She got the last laugh”

Another Instagram user @up4thegrind wrote, “ok in all seriousness is she really in love or using him”

While Instagram user @essentiallyeric324 wrote, “Idk he reminds me of Blueface the way he constantly  tries to put her down and humble her but frames it as a joke”

Related: Zeus’ Lemuel Plummer, Girlfriend Scotty & Ex Janeisha John React To Joseline Hernandez’s Abuse Allegations

Psychological thrillers are a hard deal to pull off for the creators. They have to make complete sense while being eccentric. This is why they’re at times just plain weird to some people. And they’re definitely not for everybody. Usually, psychologically stimulating movies, good or bad, are at their best when the danger starts inside somebody’s interpretation of reality. A locked hospital can become a conspiracy. A missing child can turn desperation into moral collapse. But that’s not all.

The six films on this list reward attention long after the central mystery has been understood. Their strongest ideas live in memory, guilt, desire, obsession, class, identity, and the stories people invent to survive themselves. Some leave the audience disturbed. Others leave you arguing over motives for hours. All six are ridiculously difficult to shake. These are not for the short attention-spanned or weak-hearted. Let’s get started.

6

‘Shutter Island’ (2010)

Image via Paramount Pictures

Shutter Island follows U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) as he travels to Ashecliffe Hospital in 1954 to investigate the disappearance of a patient from an institution for dangerous criminals. The hospital sits on an isolated island, a storm cuts off communication, and nearly everyone Teddy questions seems to know more than they are willing to say. His investigation also carries personal weight through memories of his wife and his fixation on Andrew Laeddis, the man he believes destroyed his life. If I tell the name of the person who played Andrew, I’d spoil it for you so let me withhold that information.

Dennis Lehane’s novel gave the film an ideal foundation for paranoia, while the atmosphere turns every corridor, notebook, cigarette, and guarded answer into possible evidence. Teddy is emotionally raw enough that his certainty never feels comfortable, and the hospital’s elaborate architecture mirrors how desperately he needs one version of reality to remain intact. The pleasure of revisiting Shutter Island comes from noticing how openly the movie was communicating all along. So make sure you watch it once for the mystery. Return later for the tragedy sitting underneath it.

5

‘Prisoners’ (2013)

Image via Warner Bros.

Two young girls disappear during a Thanksgiving gathering in Prisoners, leaving their families with almost nothing beyond an RV that had been parked nearby. Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) begins following the evidence, while Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) becomes convinced that the vehicle’s driver knows where the children are. When the police cannot hold their suspect, Keller decides that waiting for lawful proof is an unacceptable risk and begins pursuing answers through increasingly brutal means.

The film keeps the audience painfully close to Keller’s logic without making his choices easy to defend. That tension is the whole nightmare. Hugh Jackman gives Keller the desperation of a parent who has turned certainty into survival, while Jake Gyllenhaal’s Loki keeps pushing through mazes, old crimes, damaged witnesses, and details that refuse to line up neatly. Roger Deakins’ rain-soaked Pennsylvania imagery makes houses, parking lots, and empty roads feel permanently exhausted. Prisoners is heavy, precise, and deeply involving. Set aside the evening, follow every clue, and prepare to question how far sympathy should really stretch. There’s this one particular scene of Jackman where he improvised his intensity while punching the wall and it literally scared his co-stars.

4

‘Burning’ (2018)

Image via CGV Arthouse

Burning begins with Jong-su (Yoo Ah-in), an aimless young man in South Korea who reconnects with childhood acquaintance Hae-mi (Jeon Jong-seo) and agrees to care for her cat while she travels to Africa. She returns with Ben (Steven Yeun), a wealthy, calm, and strangely unreadable man whose lifestyle feels completely removed from Jong-su’s own financial uncertainty. Then Hae-mi disappears, and one unsettling conversation leaves Jong-su convinced that Ben may be hiding something far darker than casual arrogance.

Haruki Murakami’s short story Barn Burning provides the seed, though the film expands it into a study of class resentment, loneliness, masculinity, and the terrifying uncertainty of believing something without being able to prove it. Ben is frightening through composure rather than overt menace, while Yoo Ah-in lets Jong-su’s suspicion grow alongside humiliation and envy. Even Hae-mi remains partly unknowable, which is important in a story filled with men assigning meaning to her absence. Burning moves slowly and uses that patience beautifully. Give it room and the unease keeps accumulating long after individual scenes appear to have ended.

3

‘Black Swan’ (2010)

Image via Searchlight Pictures

Black Swan centers on Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman), a technically gifted ballerina chosen to perform both the White Swan and Black Swan in a major production of Swan Lake. The White Swan fits the control and discipline Nina has spent her life perfecting. The Black Swan demands sensuality and freedom that she cannot produce through technique alone. Rehearsals intensify while her mother, artistic director, and fellow dancer Lily (Mila Kunis) each become connected to a different part of the pressure closing around her.

Natalie Portman’s Oscar-winning performance captures how completely Nina has built her identity around perfection. Her body becomes something to discipline, inspect, punish, and eventually distrust. Lily represents an ease Nina cannot manufacture, while the relationship with her mother reveals how little space she has been given to develop outside ballet. It’s honestly a beautiful movie and genuinely nasty in the same breath.

2

‘The Handmaiden’ (2016)

Image via Amazon Studios/ CJ Entertainment

Advertisement

The Handmaiden introduces Sook-hee (Kim Tae-ri), a young pickpocket recruited to help a con man steal the fortune of wealthy heiress Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee) and is set in Korea during Japanese colonial rule. Sook-hee enters Hideko’s secluded estate as her new maid, while the plan requires the two women to become close enough for manipulation to look like trust. The household already contains its own forms of control, and every person inside it seems to be performing a role for someone else.

Park Chan-wook adapted Sarah Waters’ Fingersmith by relocating the story from Victorian England, adding colonial identity, language, architecture, and sexual power to an already intricate deception. The film revisits events from different perspectives, allowing gestures that first seemed innocent to acquire completely different meanings once another person’s knowledge becomes visible. Kim Min-hee and Kim Tae-ri give the relationship emotional force that keeps the elaborate plotting from becoming a puzzle for its own sake. The Handmaiden is sensual, funny, cruel, and enormously clever without losing its heart.

1

‘Gone Girl’ (2014)

Image via 20th Century Studios

Advertisement

Gone Girl is a movie made with mystery and psychological thrill on steroids. It begins when Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike) disappears on the morning of her fifth wedding anniversary and her husband Nick (Ben Affleck) becomes the center of the investigation. Their marriage has already been damaged by unemployment, infidelity, resentment, and the collapse of the glamorous New York life they once shared. Nick’s lies make him look increasingly suspicious, while Amy’s diary appears to tell the story of a woman becoming afraid of the man she married. Soon the case belongs as much to television audiences and public opinion as it does to the police.

Gillian Flynn adapted her own novel for David Fincher, and preserved the vicious argument about marriage that gives the thriller its staying power. Nick and Amy originally fell in love through idealized versions of themselves, then became furious when ordinary life exposed the performance underneath. Rosamund Pike gives Amy intelligence, rage, and control without reducing her to one easy label, while Ben Affleck’s Nick understands too late that public perception can become another form of evidence. Gone Girl is wickedly entertaining, darkly funny, and uncomfortably recognizable whenever love starts sounding like image management. Few modern thrillers invite this much discussion after the credits.

Advertisement

Gone Girl

Advertisement

Release Date

October 3, 2014

Runtime

Advertisement

149 minutes

Writers

Gillian Flynn

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Fall fashion is all about warm hues, interesting textures and gold-tone embellishments that make clean, classy outfits look positively rich. The same goes for your footwear, which is why brown flat shoes are expected to be everywhere this fall — and we’re already seeing signs of it ahead of the season.

Ballet flats, Mary Janes, slingbacks and loafers are all projected to be huge in September, giving Us that sleek, cool-girl style that even celebrities are reaching for. In fact, stars like Scarlett Johansson and Zoe Saldaña have introduced the look into their wardrobes as we transition from summer to fall. Plus, we’ve seen style icon Katie Holmes don brown flats year after year, so it’s no surprise that the trend is back with vengeance. To get ahead of the curve, we’re shopping the style now, and we discovered elevated fall styles from Rothy’s, Adidas, Quince, Vivaia, Franco Sarto and more.

13 Editor-Approved Brown Flat Shoes for Fall

1. Our Favorite: We’re starting strong with a classic ballet flat that can work for office days, errand runs and beyond. These popular shoes have a cushioned insole, giving you the comfort you need for all-day wear.

2. Runner-Up: Not quite ready to give up summer? Same! These mesh Mary Jane flats dabble in summer-to-fall wear, thanks to the woven exterior, gold buckle and trendy autumnal shade.

3. Going Viral: The coolest girls we know are wearing tabi flats like these from Cushionaire. The polarizing trend has a split-toe design that makes a big statement with little effort.

4. Two-in-One: You may have seen ballerina sneakers on celebs and fashion people this summer, and the look isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. This brown sporty-chic style gives you the comfort of trainers with a feminine appearance, so you’ll wear them with jeans, maxi dresses and more.

5. Editor-Loved: Us Weekly editors are big Rothy’s fans, with some wearing the classic Mary Janes constantly. This upgraded pick has not one but two instep straps for a major French twist.

Related: Wear-Everywhere Jean Skirts Are the Cool Denim Trend You‘ll See All Fall

It’s not quite fall as yet, but our sights can’t stop gravitating toward autumnal styles . . . and apparently, cool fashion girls aren’t resisting either. The latest trend we’re seeing on NYC streets? Long jean skirts. They’re already everywhere with ‘It’ girls and A-listers like Julia Roberts, Natalie Portman and Jennifer Lopez all stunning […]

Advertisement

6. On the Wild Side: We can’t say we’re mad that animal-print styles are back in fashion, especially when they look as good as these ballet flats. The cow-like print teeters the line between the fall trend and the popular pattern, so you can nail both styles in one go.

7. Rich Mom: Fall and suede go together like peanut butter and jelly, which is why we’re swooping up these Franco Sarto slingbacks ASAP. The soft exterior, strappy details and saddle tan shade are *chef’s kiss*.

8. CEO Vibes: Everyone needs a fall shoe that goes from the boardroom to after-hours drinks, and these Quince slingbacks are it. The Italian leather base and modern square-toe front feel polished and sleek. Oh, and shoppers confirm they’re comfortable, too!

9. Boho Babe: Everything about these leather flats feels bohemian from the brown hue to the woven details. We can see them styled with cropped linen pants now and a denim maxi skirt come fall.

10. Soft Statement: You’ve seen ballet flats but probably none that look like they belong on a stage. Made with a dainty bow and criss-cross straps, these Sam Edelman flats give off major ballerina vibes. Pair that aesthetic with a maple ginger hue, and you’ve got yourself a trendy shoe that you’ll wear all season.

11. Instant Upgrade: If you want a polished work shoe that stands out, opt for these Marc Fisher slingbacks that have a croc embossed design. The accent alone makes the shoes look ten times the price.

12. Celeb-Approved: This is not a drill: The same Mary Jane flats Holmes wears in the fall are in stock at DSW right now. They have a square toe, suede exterior and a large buckle accent that can be spotted from a mile away.

13. Quite the Charmer: There’s something about wearing loafers that gives off major collegiate vibes, aka the universal fall trend. These Lucky Brand loafers are classic with a saddle strap, semi-pointed front and a minor heel that gives you just a tiny lift.

UsNow Summer Sale Alert: These Chic Fashion Finds are over 30% off – Plus Free Shipping

Welcome to summer with our biggest sale of the year. This summer’s chicest dresses, tops and swimsuits are all over 30% + free shipping. Inventory is limited so hurry before they’re gone.

Shop the UsNow Summer Sale –>

Advertisement

Related: All the ‘It‘ Celebs Are All Wearing Lace-Trimmed Clothing

We don’t know if you’ve noticed, but celebrities left and right have been spotted wearing breezy summer pieces with delicate lace details. We saw it on Demi Moore while she vacationed in Paris and Sarah Michelle Gellar posing in Bandol — but the style goes beyond Europe. Jennifer Lopez also donned the look while lunching […]