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Actor Joey Lawrence has broken his silence on his recent divorce and rumors of an affair with co-star Melina Alves. The 48-year-old "Melissa & Joey" alum took to Instagram on August 29 to address the situation, following his estranged wife Samantha Cope's divorce filing on August 13.
Lawrence emphatically denied having a physical relationship with Alves during the filming of their upcoming holiday movie "Socked in for Christmas." He stated, "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."
The actor acknowledged meeting Alves while his marriage to Cope was "deeply troubled," describing it as "fraught with difficulties from the beginning." Lawrence emphasized that his three daughters remain his top priority, revealing that his two eldest children's inability to accept Cope as part of the family played a significant role in the marriage's breakdown.
Alves, who is also going through a divorce, corroborated Lawrence's account. In her own statement released on August 28, she asserted, "There was no sexual relationship between Joey and myself while we were on set filming Socked in for Christmas."
Court documents obtained by People magazine show that Cope cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split. The couple, who married in May 2022, separated on June 7, 2024. Cope is seeking full physical custody of their 19-month-old daughter Dylan, with visitation rights for Lawrence at her discretion.
A source close to the family initially claimed to People that Lawrence had an affair with Alves, describing their relationship as both professional and personal. However, both parties have vehemently denied these allegations.
The divorce appears to have had some positive outcomes. Another source told People, "Once they split, things got exponentially better between him and his ex-wife and their girls." This refers to Lawrence's improved co-parenting relationship with his former spouse, Chandie Yawn-Nelson, with whom he shares two teenage daughters.
