Joey Lawrence Speaks Out About Divorce from Wife Samantha Cope and Melina Alves Affair Allegations

On Aug. 20, PEOPLE confirmed that Cope filed for divorce after two years of marriage

Joey Lawrence is breaking his silence after his estranged wife Samantha Cope filed for divorce.

More than a week after Cope filed for divorce on Aug. 20, Lawrence, 48, spoke out about their decision to go their separate ways after two years of marriage and addressed allegations of an affair with his Socked in for Christmas costar Melina Alves.

"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," he began in a statement on Instagram.

"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," he continued. "Our bond was based on shared experiences and an understanding of the challenges we were both facing in our personal lives."

Related: Joey Lawrence and Samantha Cope Split After 2 Years of Marriage

Lawrence noted that he met Alves amid his "deeply troubled marriage" to Cope, adding, "I was clinging to hope that I could save a relationship that, in my heart, I knew was beyond saving. My short-lived marriage was fraught with difficulties from the beginning. Our differences became insurmountable."

The actor then addressed the relationship between Cope and his eldest daughters Charleston, 18, and Liberty, 14 (both of whom he shares with ex-wife Chandie Yawn-Nelson).

"As a father, my three daughters are my world. They are, and always will be, my top priority," he said. "The unraveling of my marriage was tied to my realization that there is 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."

"I understand that my life is often in the public eye, and with that comes a level of scrutiny that can be difficult to bear," he added. "However, I must emphasize that the well-being of my children is of the utmost importance."

He concluded the statement by thanking fans for their "understanding and respect."

In a statement of her own, Cope said: "As a mother who values her daughter above all else, I find these false accusations deeply troubling."

"I am confident that the truth is known to me, to Joey, and to God," she added. "I am choosing to put my focus on healing, caring for my daughter, and processing the loss of my marriage and my family. "

Related: Joey Lawrence, Samantha Cope 'Had Troubles from the Beginning' of Relationship, Source Says (Exclusive)

Lawrence's words echo Alves' previous statement released on Aug. 28, in which she stated the pair's relationship began as a "meaningful friendship" on Socked in for Christmas and denied having any "sexual relationship" with Lawrence at the time.

In court documents obtained by PEOPLE, Cope cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for their split and submitted the paperwork on Aug. 13 — two months after their date of separation, which was listed as June 7, 2024. Cope requested to block the court's ability to award either side spousal support. She is also seeking full physical custody of their daughter Dylan, 19 months, while permitting Lawrence visitation at her discretion.

Shortly after the divorce news broke, a source close to the family told PEOPLE that Lawrence allegedly had an affair with Alves. The source claimed the two "had a working relationship and were partners on a couple things."

"He knew she was also going through a divorce," the source continued. "He was very empathetic to her situation as well and called her collateral damage when it comes to all this."

Another source later told PEOPLE that Lawrence and Cope's separation helped improve the actor's relationship with his loved ones and mend his coparenting relationship with Nelson.

"Once they split, things got exponentially better between him and his ex wife and their girls," the source said of Lawrence. "Joey's strong and strong in his faith so he's trying to take it all in stride, but he is very disappointed and upset at how all of this has turned out."

Related: Joey Lawrence Is Trying to Take Samantha Cope Divorce 'in Stride' but Is Very 'Upset' by How It's Playing Out (Exclusive Source)

After meeting on the set of their Lifetime movie My Husband's Secret Brother in 2021, Lawrence and Cope said  "I do" in front of their friends and family at the Temecula Creek Inn in Temecula, California in May 2022.

Shortly after their nuptials, the duo announced in September 2022 that they were expecting their first child together. They welcomed daughter Dylan — Lawrence's third daughter — in January 2023.

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Speculation about the former couple's separation was first sparked when Lawrence was spotted without a wedding ring in PEOPLE's exclusive photos of his family vacation to Jamaica in August. Cope was also noticeably absent from the pictures.

Lawrence and his brothers Matthew, 44, and Andrew, 36, described the trip as a "vacation of a lifetime." The three siblings were joined by their mother, Donna, the Melissa & Joey alum's daughters, Charleston, 18, and Liberty, 14, as well as Andrew’s girlfriend, Brittany McGowan, on the Caribbean getaway.

“Nothing matters more in this life than the beautiful memories you share with loved ones,” the brothers told PEOPLE at the time. "It was a vacation of a lifetime and we can’t wait to go back!”

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