Joey Lawrence and Samantha Cope are going their separate ways after two years of marriage, a source exclusively confirmed to People. A divorce filing obtained by the media outlet showed that the 37-year-old actress cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for their split. She submitted the paperwork on August 13, 2024, just two months after their initial separation, which was listed as June 7, 2024.
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Samantha is seeking full custody of their daughter.
Per the paperwork obtained by People, Samantha requested to block the court's ability to award either side spousal support, and she is also seeking full physical custody of their 19-month-old daughter, Dylan.
She asked for the ability to permit visitation to Joey at her discretion. "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," the filing read.
The divorce comes not long after she posted a cryptic message.
On June 11, 2024, a few days after their listed separation date, Samantha posted a cryptic message about freedom on her Instagram along with photos of her, her daughter, and other people in her life. Joey was noticeably absent from the carousel of images. "Not everything you lose is a loss," the first image read in part. "Some things are freedom. Some things are a second chance. Some things are a miracle in disguise."
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Samantha doesn't want Joey getting their daughter for long periods of time.
The mother of one requested that her estranged husband "not take [Dylan] 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," according to the filing. She further stated that Joey "must be available for the full time" whenever Dylan visits while she remains a minor and "is not to be in the presence of any non-family members while with Joe unless agreed upon by Samantha."
The couple tied the knot in 2022.
The couple got married May 1, 2022, at Temecula Creek Inn in Temecula, California, after meeting the year before while filming My Husband's Secret Brother. The 48-year-old actor told People that their union felt "so right" at the time.
Joey had never dated a coworker.
In December 2023, Joey opened up about their relationship. "We did this big thriller that my brother Andrew directed for Lifetime, and I met her on the set that [of] movie," he recalled. "Which is so crazy to me. I'd never dated somebody that I'd worked with before. That was just very, very much out of the ordinary for me."
