Joey Lawrence sparks alarm with large black eye months after calling off acrimonious divorce
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- Joey Lawrence sparks alarm with huge black eye… months after calling off divorce
Joey Lawrence sparked concern while stepping out with a visible black eye on a family outing to Erewhon Market in Calabasas alongside his wife Samantha Cope.
As he carried a single grocery bag back to his car, the Melissa & Joey star, 49, appeared worse for wear, sporting extensive bruising and swelling around his left eye.
The actor’s upper cheekbone was visibly discolored, with a dark purple hue extending beneath the eye and a small cut just above his brow, suggesting a recent impact.
The Pennsylvania native has not publicly revealed how he sustained the injury and avoided sharing any images featuring the shiner on social media.
The Daily Mail has reached out to his representatives, but have not heard back, at this time.
His wife remained closely by his side as she carried their two-year-old daughter Dylan Rose in her arms.
Joey Lawrence sparked concern while stepping out with a visible black eye on a family outing to Erewhon Market in Calabasas alongside his wife Samantha Cope
The couple reconciled four months after Cope, 38, filed for divorce in August 2024.
In July, the actor opened up about his decision to repair his marriage while urging others not to 'give up' without a fight.
'I think it’s too easy [he said of divorce],' he explained of why they got back together. 'As much you don’t want to take an easy way out, or you think this will be the fix—it’s not always the case. I just didn’t want to do that. And she didn’t either.'
Ultimately, he said they both came to the realization: 'Wait a minute. There’s something so special here.'
'Things take a lot of work and a lot of dedication and reworking and retooling,' the father-of-three continued. 'That’s life, though.'
Lawrence went on to stress: 'That’s life, though. As brothers, with your parents, with friends, in business, that’s it. Everything takes so much work. Whatever it is, just don’t give up, because you never know.'
Last August, it was revealed that Cope had filed for divorce from Lawrence.
She requested that both she and her estranged husband not receive any spousal support.
As he carried a single grocery bag back to his car, the Melissa & Joey star, 49, appeared worse for wear, sporting extensive bruising and swelling around his left eye
The actor’s upper cheekbone was visibly discolored, with a dark purple hue extending beneath the eye and a small cut just above his brow, suggesting a recent impact
The Pennsylvania native has not publicly revealed how he sustained the injury and avoided sharing any images featuring the shiner on social media
She cited 'irreconcilable differences' as the reason for the split, and also asked for full custody of their daughter.
Cope stated in documents obtained by Us Weekly that she will allow Dylan to stay with Joey two nights a week when she turns three.
But in regards to Joey having extended visits with their daughter, Samantha stated that she wants to wait until Dylan is 'older and can consent to such visits.'
Not long after she filed, Lawrence was accused of having an affair with his co-star and fellow actress, Melina Alves.
In August 2024, he denied the allegations and insisted he 'did not have a physical relationship' with Alves while filming their movie Socked in for Christmas.
His wife remained closely by his side as she carried their two-year-old daughter Dylan Rose in her arm
The Daily Mail has reached out to his representatives, but have not heard back, at this time
'These rumors are false,' he wrote on Instagram. 'Our bond was based on shared experiences and an understanding of the challenges we were both facing in our personal lives.'
Lawrence also reflected on how he was still 'clinging to hope' that he could save his 'deeply troubled marriage' to Cope, even though he felt it was 'beyond saving.'
'My short-lived marriage was fraught with difficulties from the beginning. Our differences became insurmountable,' he explained. 'As a father, my three daughters are my world. They are, and always will be, my top priority. The unraveling of my marriage was tied to my realization that there is no way my two eldest daughters were ever going to be accepted by my wife to be part of my family.'
He concluded his post by writing that he 'cannot and will not compromise on the love and care that my daughters deserve' and understood his life in the public eye comes with a 'level of scrutiny that can be difficult to bear.'
In a statement of her own, Cope said she found his 'accusations deeply troubling' and was focused on caring for her little girl and 'processing the loss' of her marriage.
The couple reconciled four months after Cope, 38, filed for divorce in August 2024
In documents obtained by TMZ, Melina's estranged husband, Edward Rider - who filed for divorce in July - claimed that he discovered Alves and Lawrence were having an affair earlier this year in March.
The affair allegedly took place in California as well as 'at various other times and places,' Rider claimed.
At the time, a source told People that Lawrence 'love-bombed' Alves - which was something that he also did with Cope.
'Joey met Melina Alves on the set of their movie, where she was a producer,' the insider explained. Melina is also the writer and took on the role of Addy in the upcoming holiday flick,' the insider claimed.
They also alleged he 'continued to date Melina even after Samantha found out about it and confronted him.'
The source also expressed that Cope had wanted to attend marriage counseling, but Joey 'fooled their counselor' and would still 'get ready for dates with Melina while Sam watched, bawling her eyes out.'
In July, the actor opened up about his decision to repair his marriage while urging others not to 'give up' without a fight
Cope and Lawrence first crossed paths in 2020 while on set of the Lifetime movie titled, My Husband's Secret Brother
Cope and Lawrence first crossed paths in 2020 while on set of the Lifetime movie titled, My Husband's Secret Brother.
The former couple became engaged in 2021, and said 'I do' the following year in 2022 during a ceremony held at the Temecula Creek Inn in California.
At the time, Cope told People that her courtship with Lawrence was speedy: 'From day one, it was such a safe place to be myself. Two weeks in, I was like, "I will be with you forever."'
She added, 'When you meet the right person, if you're lucky enough, it cuts to the chase so quick. I have somebody who is like-minded and has the same love language, and we communicate the same way. That's super important. And I am so thankful.'
In January 2023, the couple welcomed their daughter, Dylan Rose, to the world.
The Blossom actor was also previously married to Michelle Vella from 2002 through 2005.
He later tied the knot with Chandie Yawn-Nelson in 2005 but the pair's divorce was finalized in 2022. They share daughters Charleston, 19, and Liberty, 15.
