Joey Lawrence has publicly denied allegations of an affair with his Socked in for Christmas co-star Melina Alves, while unveiling deeper issues within his marriage to Samantha Cope. The 48-year-old Hollywood icon took to Instagram on Thursday, August 29 to address rumors and express his “deep sense of responsibility” to clear the air.
In a lengthy statement, Lawrence explained that when he met the Whodunnit TV star, 41, he was in the midst of “a deeply troubled marriage” — one that “in my heart, I knew was beyond saving.”
(L-R) Actors Matthew Lawrence, Joey Lawrence and Andrew Lawrence attend premiere of Disney’s ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’ at Dolby Theatre on May 18, 2017 in Hollywood, California. Pictured with his brothers, it’s evident that for Joey Lawrence, family always comes first.
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“My short-lived marriage was fraught with difficulties from the beginning. Our differences became insurmountable,” the father-of-three shared, alleging that “the unraveling of my marriage was tied to my realization that there was no way my two eldest daughters were ever going to be accepted by my wife to be part of my family. I cannot and will not compromise on the love and care that my daughters deserve, and this realization played a significant role in the breakdown of my relationship.” (Lawrence is dad to teens, Charleston, “Charli,” 18, and Liberty, 14, whom he shares with ex-wife Chandie Yawn-Nelson, and Dylan, whom he welcomed with Cope in 2023.)
The My Fake Fiancé actor further emphasized that his relationship with Alves was strictly platonic, developed through shared professional and personal experiences. “Melina and I became close friends and I did not have a physical relationship with her,” he said. “These rumors are false. Our bond was based on shared experiences and an understanding of the challenges we were both facing in our personal lives.” Alves also denied these allegations.
“It is with deep sadness and heavy heart that I must address the recent allegations about the relationship between myself and Joey Lawrence, which have unfortunately become a public matter,” the Brazilian-born actress posted to her Instagram account on Wednesday, August 28. “As a private person, it is deeply distressing to see such personal and sensitive issues being discussed so openly and inaccurately.”
Alves went on to say that the friendship she shared with Lawrence was misconstrued, leading to damaging allegations. This, she believes, was driven by her estranged husband’s retaliatory actions after she obtained a restraining order against him.
Cope, 37, filed for divorce from Lawrence earlier this week when requesting full custody of their daughter. A source close to Cope alleged to People this week that not only did The Melissa & Joey alum have an affair, but he “continued to date Melina even after Samantha found out about it and confronted him.”
The duo tied the knot in May 2022 shortly after hitting it off on the set of Lifetime’s My Husband’s Secret Brother. “I’d never dated somebody that I’d worked with before. That was just very, very much out of the ordinary for me,” the ’90s heartthrob told People in 2023.
