Joey Lawrence breaks his silence on claims he had an affair with Melina Alves amid Samantha Cope divorce

Joey Lawrence has broken his silence on claims that he had an affair with his co-star, Brazilian actress Melina Alves.

The 48-year-old actor, who is divorcing 37-year-old Samantha Cope, released a statement on his Instagram page on Thursday.

“It is with a great sense of responsibility that I wish to respond to the recent allegations surrounding my personal life, including my divorce and the allegations of an affair with Melina Alves,” Lawrence wrote.

“Melina and I became good friends and I had no physical relationship with her during the filming of the movie Socked in for Christmas. These rumors are false.”

He went on to say that their “bond was based on shared experiences and an understanding of the challenges we both faced” in their personal lives.

Lawrence and Cope, who tied the knot in 2022, share a daughter Dylan, 19 months old, who filed for divorce on August 21 after they split in June.

He also stressed that his marriage was already under strain before he even met his co-star.

“I clung to the hope that I could save a relationship that I knew deep down could not be saved,” he wrote.

‘My short-lived marriage was fraught with difficulties from the start. Our differences became insurmountable.’

He also claimed that Cope did not accept his two eldest daughters.

“I cannot and will not compromise the love and care my daughters deserve, and this realization played a major role in the end of my relationship,” the star added.

The star has daughters Charleston and Liberty with his ex-wife Chandie Yawn-Nelson, to whom he was married from 2005 to 2020.

He was previously married to Michelle Vella, between 2002 and 2005.

“I understand that my life is often in the public eye, and that brings with it a level of scrutiny that can be difficult to endure,” Lawrence concluded. “However, I must stress that the well-being of my children is of the utmost importance. Thank you for your understanding and respect as I navigate this difficult chapter in my life. [family’s] to live.’

Joey and Melina were accused of having an affair by her estranged husband Edward Rider. The divorce papers he filed in late July stated that Joey and Melina were having an affair.

He claims in the documents that he found out in late March that Joey and Melina had allegedly slept together.

Joey and Melina are accused of having the alleged affair in California – after they starred together in the upcoming film Socked In For Christmas. Melina is also a writer on the film.

Rider claims the affair occurred “at various other times and places.”

Melina denied having an affair with Lawrence on Wednesday.

The 40-year-old actress posted a lengthy statement on her Instagram page on Wednesday denying rumors of an affair.

Melina was accused of having an affair with Joey by her estranged husband Edward Rider.

Melina wrote in her statement: “It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that I must respond to the recent allegations regarding my relationship with Joey Lawrence. Unfortunately, these allegations have become a private matter.”

The actress called the allegations of an affair “deeply disturbing” and said there was “no sexual relationship” between her and Joey on the set of their Christmas movie.

She explained that she and Joey became friends through their “shared experiences.”

Melina also gave a timeline for her own marriage, explaining that she and ex-husband Edward Rider have been estranged since January 2023 and still live in the same house, though they use separate rooms.

The actress said she had to get a “temporary restraining order” from her husband and that she had to do so to “protect herself during a time of vulnerability.”

She said he had “violated” the restraining order and that she had gone to the police station to report it, which she said led to him “contacting a news organization.”

Samantha broke her silence about her split from the actor in an emotional clip on Instagram on Saturday.

The mother of one officially filed for divorce from the Melissa & Joey star on August 13 after two years of marriage, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason. She set the divorce date as June 7, 2024.

Alongside a video montage, Samantha wrote in the caption: ‘A wonderful friend of mine recently said to me, ‘Don’t be afraid of the tears. Let them flow.”

She added: “Because every tear is God gently squeezing the pain and devastation from your heart, making room for new, beautiful feelings.”

“She also reminded me, ‘the more you cry, the less you pee.’ So let them flow. You can do this.”

In the post, Cope shared several clips of herself spending time with her 1-year-old daughter, Dylan Rose, whom she shares with Lawrence.

The star also shared candid footage of herself crying outside and in a car with her baby daughter.

Next, we see Samantha spinning around with her daughter in her arms in a spacious bedroom with a big smile on her face.

Cope stood next to a horse, surrounded by a picturesque landscape, and other beautiful moments with her little one were also seen.

In the video, a voiceover could be heard saying, “Look, look how far you’ve come.”

“You faced your trauma and you came out the other side. And I’m sorry if I get a little emotional. But there were times when I really worried about you, miss girl. But look at you today. I’m so proud of you. You’re a survivor.”