On August 13, 2024, Samatha Cope filed for divorce from Joey Lawrence after two years and one kid. Although court documents detailed the conditions of the divorce, the reason behind the decision remains unknown.
However, an exclusive source has revealed that one of the reasons behind their decision was infidelity. The source, who is close to Cope and Lawrence, has alleged that Cope decided to end the marriage after discovering that Lawrence was having an affair.
Why Did Joey Lawrence and Samantha Cope Split?
According to the source, Joey Lawrence was having an affair with Melina Alves, a writer on his upcoming film, “Socked In For Christmas.” The source said, “Joey met Melina Alves on the set of their movie, where she was a producer.”
“He then love-bombed her just like he love-bombed Samantha. He continued to date Melina even after Samantha found out about it and confronted him,” the source added. The source stated that despite the discovery, Cope wasn’t considering a divorce and attempted to go for couples counseling.
However, Lawrence wasn’t interested, choosing to instead go on dates with Alves. Additionally, the source claimed that Lawrence had lied to their therapist, choosing to dress up for dates while Cope watched, bawling her eyes out.
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In his December 2023 interview, Joey Lawrence joked about how his daughter, Dylan, was keeping him young while simultaneously making him age. Lawrence said, “Look, life is a beautiful, sometimes crazy-unexpected journey, and the ups and downs are real, and I’m very thankful that people that I love are around me and that there’s health around us.”
Speculations about a possible separation began earlier in August 2024 after a family vacation picture was released. In the image, Samantha Cope was noticeably missing from vacation, while Lawrence was without his wedding ring.
Who Did Joey Lawrence Have an Affair With?
In late July 2024, Edward Rider, Melina Alves’ estranged husband, filed for divorce from his wife weeks before Cope filed. On Thursday, August 22, 2024, TMZ reported that it had obtained the divorce filing of Rider and Alves.
According to TMZ, the filing had alleged that Melina Alves was having an affair with Joey Lawrence, which began in late March 2024. According to the filing, Rider claimed that the affair began in California, where Lawrence’s upcoming movie, ”Socked In For Christmas,” was being filmed.
Subsequently, the affair went beyond California as Joey Lawrence and Melina Alves continued to meet at other locations around the country. Despite people reaching out to Lawrence, Cope, Alves, and Rider, and their representatives, there have been no official statements.
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Details of the Divorce Filing
After two years of marriage, Joey Lawrence and Samantha Cope announced their split on Wednesday, August 21, 2024. Lawrence’s brother, Andrew Lawrence, directed the Christmas film “Lifetime’s My Husband’s Secret,” which is how Lawrence and Cope first got together in 2021.
Cope filed court paperwork in which she claimed that the reasons behind their divorce were as distinct as irreconcilable differences. According to the court records, the couple split on June 7, 2024, and filed the case on August 13, 2024.
According to filing records, Cope applied to prevent the court from granting spousal support to either party. Cope also requests sole custody of Dylan, their 19-month-old daughter, with the option for Lawrence to attend at her discretion.
Samantha Cope also requests that Lawrence restrict Dylan’s long visits until she can make the request herself. Cope further asked Lawrence to be present for Dylan’s visit while she’s still a juvenile and that no non-family members should be permitted without her permission.
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How Many Children Does Joey Lawrence Have?
Joey Lawrence has three children. He met his second wife, Chandie Yawn-Nelson, while they were both teenagers on vacation at Disney World. Their two children, Charleston and Liberty, were born there after their July 2005 wedding.
In July 2017, reports that Lawrence and Yawn-Nelson had filed for bankruptcy first appeared in March 2018. In July 2020, Joey Lawrence filed for divorce. Afterward, he married Samantha Cope, an actress, in 2022.
The two met on a movie set that Joey Lawrence’s brother Andrew was directing. In 2023, Lawrence and Cope welcomed their kid, a daughter named Dylan. However, things have gone south for the couple, with a divorce in sight.
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