Lisa Vanderpump and Gleb Savchenko: ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Star Admits to Having ‘Emotional Affair’ With ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Partner

Lisa Vanderpump’s time with Gleb Savchenko on Dancing With the Stars was more than just learning the cha-cha! The Vanderpump Rules star, 60, admitted to having an “emotional affair” with her pro partner in newly resurfaced comments from The Bellas podcast’s October 2020 appearance, taking on a different light amid Savchenko’s divorce from wife Elena Samodanova amid infidelity accusations.

“Gleb was gorgeous,” Vanderpump said of her time on Season 16 of the ABC dance competition in 2013. “I did become very close to Gleb. I loved him.” She continued of their relationship, “We had a little bit of an emotional affair in terms of having to connect and hold on to each other because it’s so scary … I adored him.” The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum, married to Ken Todd for more than 30 years, explained that being married as long as she had “and not really engaging with any kind of physicality apart from your husband” made her time with Savchenko extra exciting.

“When you’re thrown into Dancing With the Stars and suddenly somebody’s right in your face and you’re wrapping your legs around them … That was the best part,” she continued. “[Savchenko] would say, ‘Do these backbends,’ and as you would do the backbends, he would hold your groin against his. And I was thinking, ‘I haven’t had this much fun since my honeymoon!’” Todd didn’t mind, the SUR owner added. “He would be like, ‘I see you. I see what you’re up to,’” she recalled. “He doesn’t put that much importance on me messing about and flirting.”

Vanderpump’s comments were made just weeks before the Russian-born dancer and his wife of 14 years announced they had split in November 2020, shortly after he and Season 29 partner Chrishell Stause were eliminated. Samodanova, daughters Olivia, 10, and Zlata, 3, accused him of ongoing infidelity amid the split with her estranged husband. Still, both Savchenko and Stause denied their relationship was anything but platonic during their season.

In December, the Selling Sunset star announced that she was dating another Dancing With the Stars pro, Keo Motsepe, and Savcheko went public with girlfriend Cassie Scerbo the same month. The two couples even vacationed together in Mexico before Savchenko and Scerbo decided earlier this month to take a break in their relationship, an insider told Us Weekly. “Elena has made her feelings clear on social media and was really upset over Gleb going on vacation to Mexico with Cassie. She went crazy over this and couldn’t believe he went so public with a new relationship so quickly,” the insider explained of Savchenko’s decision. “It was sort of a slap in the face.”