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Joey Lawrence said he is “beyond thankful” after he and estranged wife Samantha Cope reconciled following her divorce filing amid his cheating allegations in August.
The actor, 48, shared a photo of the pair at the premiere of their new holiday TV movie, Marry Christmas, cuddled up on the red carpet on Wednesday, December 4. In a second photo, Joey shared a selfie from the afterparty of himself and Samantha sharing a sweet kiss.
Joey wrote, “My forever after,” over the snapshot of the smooch. In the caption, the Blossom alum gushed, “I am beyond grateful. I am beyond blessed. I am galaxies beyond thankful. My heart is so full,” along with white heart emojis. Samantha, 37, responded in the comments, “Love you,” while he replied underneath, “Love you so much baby,” with a red heart emoji.
Samantha filed for divorce in Los Angeles on August 6, citing “irreconcilable differences,” in court paperwork obtained by In Touch.
She listed the date of her separation from Joey as June 7. While the Love at the Christmas Contest star didn’t seek spousal support from the Dancing With the Stars alum, Samantha asked for joint custody of their daughter, Dylan Rose, but with a number of demands, including “100 percent physical custody of Dylan with visitation to Joe at Samantha’s discretion.”
Things became even more complicated when Joey’s Socked In for Christmas costar Melina Alves’ estranged husband, Edward Rider, accused her of cheating on him with Joey in his July divorce documents, which were obtained by TMZ.
Edward claimed he found out about the alleged affair in March. His divorce filing came two weeks before Samantha filed for divorce from Joey
One week after the claims were revealed, Melina, 40, spoke out about the allegations.
“It is with a deep sadness and heavy heart that I must address the recent allegations about the relationship between myself and Joey Lawrence, which have unfortunately become a public matter,” Melina began in a statement issued via Instagram on August 28. “As a private person, it is deeply distressing to see such personal and sensitive issues being discussed so openly and inaccurately.”
She denied having a “sexual relationship” with Joey. Melina said that she and her costar had “a meaningful friendship that developed naturally due to the many similarities in our personal situations.”
Joey shared his own affair denial via Instagram the following day while claiming his marriage to Samantha was “troubled.”
“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,” he wrote.
“At the time I met Melina, I was in the midst of a deeply troubled marriage. 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,” he said.
Joey and Samantha met and fell in love in 2020 on the set of the Lifetime movie My Husband’s Secret Brother. They married on May 1, 2022, and welcomed daughter Dylan in January 2023.
The Love by Design star claimed his daughters Charleston and Liberty, whom he shares with second wife Chandie Yawn-Nelson, weren’t “accepted” by Samantha.
“As a father, my three daughters are my world. They are, and always will be, my top priority. 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,” he explained at the time.
English (US) ·