Joey Lawrence ‘Never Thought’ He’d Be Involved in a Cheating Scandal: It’s a ‘Tangled Mess’

Whoa! On the heels of Joey Lawrence's wife, Samantha Cope, filing for divorce, rumors are swirling that the Blossom alum cheated on the actress with his Socked in for Christmas costar Melina Alves.

Melina's estranged husband, Edward Rider, has filed for divorce, too, and according to court docs, he claims to have discovered their affair in late March.

However, Melina, 40, denies the allegations, insisting she never had a sexual relationship with Joey, 48, while they were on set shooting the holiday film.

"It's an ugly, tangled mess," an insider exclusively tells Life & Style. "Joey never thought he'd be involved in something like this."

In a lengthy statement posted to Instagram on August 29, Joey denied having an affair with Melina, writing in part, "With a deep sense of responsibility, I want to respond to the recent allegations surrounding my personal life, including my divorce and the claims of an affair with Melina Alves. Melina and I became close friends and I did not have a physical relationship with her while filming the movie Socked in for Christmas. 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."