Gleb Savchenko broke his silence on being dropped from the “Dancing With the Stars” Season 35 pro lineup with a defiant, shirtless video telling fans to save their sympathy.
The Russian dancer, 42, posted the clip to Instagram mere hours after ABC unveiled its new cast on Wednesday, laughing as he panned the camera down his toned torso. “Guys, you can stop telling me you’re sorry. I’m good,” he said in the video. “Guys, I promise… I’m good 😂❤️,” he wrote in the caption, shutting down any pity from the ballroom faithful.
Savchenko’s exit marks the first time in a decade he won’t compete for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, ending a run that began when he became a more permanent fixture in Season 23 back in 2016. He first joined the franchise in 2013 for Season 16 alongside Lisa Vanderpump, then danced through every subsequent season including last year’s Season 34 with Hilaria Baldwin — though he has never actually won the competition.
His future with the series remains deliberately vague. “Nothing but love and gratitude for all the years in that ballroom. Excited for this next chapter — and wishing everyone an amazing season. 🪩,” he wrote on Instagram. “No sad messages,” he added. “We’re moving forward. 😉.”
The timing of Savchenko’s departure carries extra sting given the new cast includes Sarah Jane Nader, 23, the younger sister of his ex-girlfriend Brooks Nader. Sarah Jane will be paired with Hailey Bills, who was promoted from the troupe to pro status, making it only the second time the show has featured a female-female partnership.
Savchenko and Brooks, 29, met in September 2024 when they were paired together on Season 33 and quickly generated romance rumors. Their relationship was confirmed that same month after photographers caught them kissing backstage, and by October they were saying exclusively that they had their eyes on the prize. “I feel a Mirrorball. I want it and I know we can do it,” Savchenko said at the time. “We both work really hard every single week and we’re taking it a week at a time … whatever happens, happens.”
Brooks downplayed the distraction of their chemistry, calling it “not really distracting” to their training. But after their elimination later that October, she posted a cryptic TikTok video with onscreen text reading, “When he’s breaking up with me but I never knew we were dating,” seeming to suggest Savchenko had ended things.
By the Season 33 finale in November, however, the pair appeared to have reconciled. “Listen, I’ll tell you this. We have a crazy chemistry and when we’re together, we just love being with each other,” Savchenko said exclusively after the finale. “We’re hanging out and we’re having fun. We’re living our life, we’re doing us, whatever that is, and we’re just having fun. That’s what life should be about,” he continued. Brooks blushed when asked for her take, calling him “amazing, obviously.”
The romance officially collapsed in April 2025, when Savchenko revealed in a statement that he was “surprised to learn” through media reports that Brooks had ended their relationship. “I am still processing everything, and while I don’t have all the answers, I wish Brooks the best moving forward,” he said, denying her claim that infidelity on his part caused the split.
The aftermath turned uglier when Savchenko dished on his bedroom misadventures with Brooks in April 2026, calling her “probably the worst sex of my life” and alleging he “chipped [a] tooth” during a sexual encounter.
Savchenko’s personal life has generated other headaches in recent months. His Season 23 partner Jana Kramer accused him of being “rude,” and he remains embroiled in a legal battle with ex-wife Elena Samodanova, whom he claims “abducted” their daughters and moved to China. He shares daughters Olivia, 15, and Zlata, 8, with Samodanova and is currently dating OnlyFans model Kaitlin Trujillo.
“Dancing With the Stars” Season 35 premieres this fall on ABC.
