Joey Lawrence Has Something to Say About Those Infidelity Rumors

Joey Lawrence has rushed to his own defense.

Earlier this month, we learned that the Samantha Cope had filed for divorce from the actor after just two years of marriage.

Cope cited ‘irreconcilable differences’ as the basis for the couple’s split and has spoken on the matter…

… but sources have claimed she ended this union because Lawrence was sleeping with his Socked in for Christmas Melina Alves.

Now, a day after Alves fiercely denied such speculation, Lawrence has gone ahead and done the same.

“With a deep sense of responsibility, I want to respond to the recent allegations surrounding my personal life, including my divorce and the claims of an affair with Melina Alves,” the star began a statement on Instagram this afternoon.

“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.”

Lawrence went on to say that he met the actress amid his “deeply troubled marriage” to Cope, adding online:

“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.”

Alves made a similar statement on Wednesday.

“First and foremost, I want to clarify that there was no adult relationship between Joey and myself while we were on set filming Socked in for Christmas,” she wrote on Instagram.

“Our relationship was a meaningful friendship that developed naturally due to the many similarities in our personal situations.”

Alves later referred to her own very troubled relationship, even saying she had taken out a temporary restraining order against her estranged spouse.

“This is a deeply private matter that I never intended to become public, and I hope that this clarification can help put an end to the speculation and allow both Joey and myself to move forward without further intrusion,” concluded Alves.

For his part on Thursday, Lawrence emphasized the relationship between Cope and his 0ldest daughters Charleston, 18, and Liberty, 14, both of whom he shares with ex-wife Chandie Yawn-Nelson.

“As a father, my three daughters are my world. They are, and always will be, my top priority,” he said. “The unraveling of my marriage was tied to my realization that there is no way my two eldest daughters were ever going to accept my wife to be part of the 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.”

Added Lawrence, who shares a 14-month old with Cope:

“I understand that my life is often in the public eye, and with that comes a level of scrutiny that can be difficult to bear. However, I must emphasize that the well-being of my children is of the utmost importance.”

He concluded the statement by thanking fans for their “understanding and respect.”