Joey Lawrence admits there was ‘pain’ in marriage with ex-wife after he denied affair allegations with co-star

Joey Lawrence is addressing his divorce after rumors swirled that he was in an alleged affair.

“There’s a lot of speculation… it’s out there,” Lawrence began to explain on the “Brotherly Love” podcast. 

“What was a private journey for my family… has now unfortunately been made public… that makes me very sad for my children.”

JOEY LAWRENCE ACCUSED OF AFFAIR WITH MARRIED CO-STAR AFTER WIFE SAMANTHA COPE FILES FOR DIVORCE

The “Blossom” star continued to emotionally open up about his marriage and said he puts his children first. 

 “I try to protect my children at all costs, and what’s been going on lately is just not okay,” he said. 

“This has been a multifaceted journey these last four… five years. Actually, there was a lot of pain involved in that journey despite what it looks like and what the public perception of it is…”

“What’s going on right now, there’s so many things that are just not true.”

Lawrence’s comments come after he was accused of having an extramarital affair just over a week after his wife, Samantha Cope, filed for divorce.

He denied the rumors that he had an affair with his co-star Melina Alves while still married to Cope. Alves also denied the allegations on social media. 

“First and foremost, I want to clarify that there was no sexual relationship between Joey and myself while we were on set filming ‘Socked in for Christmas,’” she said in part on Instagram. Alves wrote, produced and co-starred with Lawrence in the film.

After rumors swirled about Lawrence’s extramarital affair amid his divorce, he admitted that he’s attempting to move forward and look past the allegations.

“Life will move on and we will move through this. And my children will be at the forefront,” Lawrence continued to say on the podcast.

“I have always and will always be the best dad I possibly can be and I will take care of my girls until the day I die… I will cherish them and honor them… do my best by them,” he said. 

“I’m not perfect but I will do my best by them for sure.”

Lawrence concluded his comments on the podcast and said, “Just try to understand that it’s such a private journey… we’re just going to do the best we can.”

“And I’ll make sure that the best is done by Dylan, obviously like I have for [daughters] Charlie and Libby… That’s the most important thing.”

JOEY LAWRENCE’S EX-WIFE SAMANTHA BREAKS SILENCE AFTER SPLIT WITH CRYPTIC MESSAGE

According to People, one day before the podcast was released, Cope shared a statement with the media outlet after Lawrence claimed they had a “deeply troubled marriage” and his daughters Charleston and Liberty were not “accepted by” the actress in his own statement on Instagram.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

“As a mother who values her daughter above all else, I find these false accusations deeply troubling,” Cope shared in the statement. “I am confident that the truth is known to me, to Joey, and to God.”

“I am choosing to put my focus on healing, caring for my daughter, and processing the loss of my marriage and my family,” she continued.

Lawrence has a total of three children. 

He shares two daughters, Charleston and Liberty, with Chandie Lawrence. The couple were married for 15 years before they decided to call it quits.

In January 2023, Lawrence and his soon-to-be ex-wife Cope welcomed their daughter, Dylan.

According to the divorce filing, Cope is seeking full physical custody of their one-year-old daughter while permitting Lawrence visitation at her discretion. Cope additionally requested to block the court’s ability to award either side spousal support.