Joey Lawrence's co-star refutes 'deeply distressing' affair accusations.

Melina Alves, Joey Lawrence's co-star, is refuting claims of an affair with the actor following Samantha Cope's divorce filing earlier this month.

Alves began her Instagram post with a heavy heart, addressing the recent allegations about her relationship with Joey Lawrence that have been made public.

Seeing personal and sensitive issues being discussed so openly and inaccurately is deeply distressing for private individuals.

While filming "Socked in for Christmas," there was no sexual relationship between Joey and me, Alves wrote, produced, and co-starred with Lawrence in the film.

"Our friendship was a meaningful one that developed naturally due to our many similarities in personal situations. When I first met Joey, I was immediately struck by his kindness, warmth, and genuine character. We quickly 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' representative confirmed her statement to Planet Chronicle Digital, while Lawrence and Cope's representatives did not respond to Planet Chronicle Digital's request for comment.

Lawrence's split was allegedly due to rumors of an affair between him and Alves.

"I want to clarify that there was no sexual relationship between Joey and myself while we were on set filming ‘Socked in for Christmas.’" — Melina Alves

A People source reports that Joey met Melina Alves on the set of their movie, where she was a producer. He then love-bombed her, just like he did with Samantha. Despite Samantha finding out about it and confronting him, Joey continued to date Melina.

Lawrence allegedly fooled their counselor and would prepare for dates with Melina while Sam watched, crying, according to a source.

Lawrence and Cope's divorce was filed on August 13, two months after their separation on June 7, 2024. The couple had been married for two years, since May 2022. They share a 1-year-old daughter, Dylan, whom Cope is seeking full physical custody of.

Alves explained that she and her ex-husband, Edward Rider, have been estranged since January 2023 and have been living in separate rooms since that time. She added that the separation was necessary for both of them.

"In addition, I must disclose that my estranged spouse has presented circumstances that required me to seek a temporary restraining order. This was a challenging and highly personal choice, made solely to safeguard myself during a time of vulnerability."

The actress stated that Rider had violated the restraining order and, on the day she went to the police department to report the violation, he immediately contacted news outlets, further victimizing her.

According to TMZ, Rider filed for divorce a few weeks before Cope submitted paperwork to separate from Lawrence. The outlet reportedly obtained the filings, which alleged Rider discovered in March that Alves and Lawrence were having an affair.

Alves concluded her post by emphasizing that the matter was private and never intended to be made public, hoping to put an end to speculation and enable both Joey and herself to move forward without further intrusion.

Recently, Cope posted on social media about leaving behind negativity.

"My friend recently advised me not to fear tears, but to let them flow freely. According to Cope on Instagram, every tear is a sign of God gently relieving the pain and sorrow from our hearts to make way for new joyful emotions."

The actress ended her video with joyful footage of her and her daughter Dylan cuddling a horse. The heartfelt message in the voiceover was, "Wow, look how much you've grown."

Planet Chronicle Digital's Stephanie Giang-Puanon and Larry Fink contributed to this report.