Joey Lawrence rushed to defend himself.
Earlier this month, we learned that Samantha Cope filed for divorce from the actor after just two years of marriage.
Kopp claimed “irreconcilable differences” were the basis for the couple’s split and spoke out on the matter…
…but sources say she ended the marriage because Lawrence was sleeping with his Christmas present, Melina Alves.
Now, a day after Alves vehemently denied the speculation, Lawrence has done the same.
“With a deep sense of responsibility, I would like to respond to the recent allegations surrounding my personal life, including my divorce and allegations of an extramarital affair with Melina Alves,” the star posted on Instagram this afternoon A statement.
“Melina and I became close friends and I didn’t have a physical relationship with her while we were filming Socked in for Christmas.
“These rumors are false. Our connection is built on shared experiences and an understanding of the challenges we face in our personal lives.
Lawrence went on to say that he met the actress while he was in a “seriously troubled marriage” to Kopp, adding online:
“I clung to the hope of salvaging a relationship that deep down I knew was unsalvageable. My short marriage was fraught with difficulties from the start. Our differences became insurmountable.
Alves issued a similar statement on Wednesday.
“First of all, I want to make it clear that there was no sexual relationship between Joey and I while we were on set filming Socked in for Christmas,” she wrote on Instagram.
“Our relationship is a meaningful friendship that developed naturally due to the many similarities in our personal circumstances.”
Alves later mentioned her own very troubled relationship and even said she had filed for a temporary restraining order against her estranged spouse.
Alves concluded: “This is a very personal matter that I never intended to make public and I hope this clarification will help end speculation and allow Joey and myself to move forward without further interference. “
On Thursday, Lawrence highlighted Kopp’s relationship with his older daughters, Charleston, 18, and Liberty, 14, whom he shares with ex-wife Chandi Yaun-Nelson.
“As a father, my three daughters mean the world to me. They are and always will be my top priority,” he said. “The breakdown of my marriage was related to the realization that my two eldest daughters would never accept my wife as part of the family.
“I cannot and will not compromise on the love and care my daughter deserves, and this realization played a large role in the breakdown of my relationship.”
Lawrence, who shares a 14-month-old child with Cope, added:
“I know that my life is often in the public eye, and with that comes a level of scrutiny that is unbearable. However, I must stress that the well-being of my children is of paramount importance.
He ended his statement by thanking fans for their “understanding and respect.”
