Oh man, I don’t think this Joey Lawrence divorce story is going away anytime soon. For those of you just joining this messy gossip party, here’s a very quick recap: Late last week, we found out that Joey’s third wife, Samantha Cope, filed for divorce after two years of marriage. She also filed for full custody of their daughter, 19-month-old Dylan, and alleged that Joey cheated on her with a co-star of his upcoming Christmas movie, an actress named Melina Alves. Joey’s camp pushed back, throwing shade at Samantha and accusing her of ruining his relationship with his two teenage daughters and their mother, his second ex wife. According to Joey’s sources, their issues were more than just the alleged infidelity.

Well, now Melina’s PR has entered the building. After Joey’s sources ran to People, I thought for sure that Samantha would clap back, but it looks like Melina beat her to it. On Wednesday, Alves, who also served as a producer on Socked in for Christmas, released a statement through her Instagram account denying that she and Joey were affair-ing on set. According to Melina, there was “no sexual relationship” between the costars while they were filming, but rather a “meaningful friendship.” She also claims that she was already separated from her husband when she met Joey.

“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,” Alves, 40, wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, August 28. “As a private person, it is deeply distressing to see such personal and sensitive issues being discussed so openly and inaccurately.”

Alves fervently denied having a “sexual relationship” with Lawrence, 48, as her estranged husband, Edward Rider, claimed in his August divorce filing.

“Our relationship was a meaningful friendship that developed naturally due to the many similarities in our personal situations,” she stressed. “When I met Joey, I was immediately struck by his kindness, warmth and genuine character. We found common ground in our shared experiences, which led to a strong supportive friendship that has been a source of strength for both of us.”

Alves alleged that she and Rider had been separated since January 2023 and were “living in separate rooms.”

“Our marriage had been struggling for some time, and the separation was a necessary step for both of us,” Alves wrote. “I have always valued my privacy, and it is incredibly painful to have such personal matters thrust into the public eye in a way that has caused harm not only to me but also to Joey, who has been unjustly dragged into this situation.”

She continued, “I ask for understanding and respect for our privacy as we navigate these difficult circumstances. This is a deeply private matter that I never intended to become public, and I hope this clarification can help put an end to the speculation and allow both Joey and myself to move forward without further intrusion.”

[From US Weekly]

Whew, with so many sides trying to get their narrative out, this story is starting to feel like the dollar store version of what’s going on with Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, and Kick Kennedy. I get Melina wanting to set the record straight about being accused of a relationship that never happened, but that’s not what her statement is doing. All she’s saying is that they had an emotional affair during the production, but they didn’t boink until after filming was finished. And yeah, maybe she was separated at the time, but Joey wasn’t! Samantha listed their date of separation as June 7 of this year.

After Melina released her statement, Joey released one of his own, piggybacking off of what she said about them not having a “physical relationship” while filming the movie and doubling-down on the earlier claims that his third marriage was “deeply troubled” from the beginning and “beyond saving.” He also reiterated that Sam herself (and not the fact that him getting with her probably contributed to his second divorce) was a major factor in the deterioration in his relationship with his ex and older daughters. Samantha, for her part, just couldn’t let Joey and Melina have the last word. (Called it!!) In a statement, she said that she found their “false accusations deeply troubling” and that she was “confident” that both God and Joey knew the truth. Your move, Joey…

Photos via Instagram