Embrace Tears Without Fear

Joey Lawrence’s estranged wife, Samantha Cope, has spoken out for the first time since filing for divorce from the actor on August 13.

“An amazing friend of mine recently told me ‘don’t be afraid of the tears. Let them flow,’” Cope shared on an Instagram Reel Saturday. “Because every tear is God gently squeezing the pain and devastation from your heart to make room for new beautiful feelings to come in.”

Adding some humor, she wrote, “She also reminded me: ‘the more you cry, the less you pee.’ So let them flow. You got this. 🩵🙏🏻.”

The video included clips of Cope, 37, joyfully spending time with her and Lawrence’s 1-year-old daughter, Dylan Rose, as well as moments of her crying. It was narrated by a touching voiceover saying, “Look at you, look how far you’ve come.”

The voiceover continued, “You’ve faced your trauma, and you came out on the other side. There were some times I was really worried about you. But look at you today. I am so proud of you. You’re a survivor baby.”

While Cope didn’t directly mention her divorce, it has indeed been a trying week for her.

On Thursday, the 48-year-old “Melissa & Joey” star was accused of having an affair with his “Socked in for Christmas” co-star, Melina Alves. Alves’ husband, Edward Rider, filed for divorce and accused her of sleeping with Lawrence in his court documents, claiming he discovered their relationship in March.

Sources allege that Lawrence met Alves on the set of their movie where she was a producer. He reportedly “love-bombed” her, much like he did with Samantha, and continued dating Alves even after Samantha confronted him. The insider claimed Lawrence would get ready for dates with Alves while Samantha watched, crying.

Cope and Lawrence got together after meeting on the set of Lifetime’s “My Husband’s Secret Brother” in 2021. They wed in May 2022 and welcomed their daughter in January 2023. The actress cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for their split and listed their separation date as June 7.

On June 11, she shared a cryptic message on Instagram, reading, “Not everything you lose is a loss. Some things are freedom.”

Cope is seeking full physical custody of their daughter and has requested that Lawrence have visitation only at her discretion. She also asked that he be barred from taking Dylan for extended visits until she’s older. Her filing states, “Once Dylan is 3 or older, Joe will have the option to take her for 2 nights in her home location if he is not working and can facilitate her visiting. He will not take her for long, extended periods of time until she is old enough to specifically ask for the visitation time and all parties agree and able to facilitate.”

As of Saturday evening, Lawrence has not responded to the divorce filing.

Source: Page Six, People