Joey Lawrence’s Wife Samantha Files for Divorce

UPDATE: 10/18/24 5:00 p.m. ET.

Cope amended her divorce petition on October 8, Us Weekly can confirm. She is now asking the court for joint legal custody, according to court documents obtained by Us on Friday, October 18. She still wants sole physical custody of their daughter, Dylan.

Cope is also asking the judge not to give alimony to either party and is claiming there is no “community and quasi-community property” to split between the estranged couple.

Original story below:

Joey Lawrence’s wife, Samantha Cope, has filed for divorce, Us Weekly can confirm.

Cope, 37, filed to end her marriage to the actor on Wednesday, August 21, two months after their listed date of separation. Per court documents obtained by Us, Samantha is requesting sole physical custody of their 19-month-old daughter, Dylan.

In documents obtained by Us, Cope states that she would approve Lawrence staying with Dylan for up to two nights per week after she turned 3. Cope has also blocked the court’s ability to award spousal support. TMZ was the first to report the news.

Lawrence, 48, moved on with Cope after his split from ex-wife Chandie Yawn-Nelson in July 2020. The pair met on the set of Lifetime’s My Husband’s Secret Brother.

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“So we met there and out of nowhere, you know, it was a crazy year and a half for everybody, obviously the whole world,” Lawrence exclusively told Us in 2021, referring to the coronavirus pandemic. “Then when you least expect [it], amazing things happen and meeting her has just been really the greatest thing ever.”

In August 2021, Us exclusively broke the news that Lawrence and Cope were engaged, with Joey subsequently taking to social media to gush about their future.

“We are beyond excited to see what the future holds for us and to know we will grow old and super wrinkly together is the ultimate blessing,” he wrote at the time.

Lawrence and Cope wed in May 2022. Months later, Lawrence revealed they were expecting their first baby. (Lawrence also shares daughters Charleston, 18, and Liberty, 14, with Yawn-Nelson, whom he was married to for more than a decade.)

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The three Lawrence brothers — Joey, Matthew and Andrew — are no strangers to showcasing their sibling connection in real life or on the big screen. The trio played onscreen siblings in NBC’s short-lived sitcom Brotherly Love from 1995 to 1997. (The second and final season aired via The WB.) The comedy followed eldest brother Joe Roman (Joey […]

“The blessings just keep on coming. Proud of you babe! 🖤,” Lawrence captioned an Instagram photo of himself cradling Cope’s baby bump in September 2022.

They welcomed their daughter in January 2023. “1.16.23 🕊️💗 ~ Dylan Rose Lawrence ~ Mom, Dad and big sisters are all so smitten with you sweet girl!” the twosome wrote in a joint Instagram post at the time. “We welcomed her into this world with the most amazing midwife, everyone is happy and healthy and we are overjoyed with gratitude 🙏🏼🤍 wow what a beautiful journey. thank you for all your continued love surrounding this beautiful new life! stay tuned for baby spam xoxo.”

Over one year after welcoming daughter Dylan, Lawrence joked that he’s been “married a billion times” because he’s a “hopeless romantic.”

“It’s all about just trying to be happy,’ he told Us. “You got to be with the right person.”