Joey Lawrence’s Costar Melina Alves Speaks Out as He Appears to Reunite with Ex Samantha Cope: ‘Surprise to Me’ (Exclusive)

Melina Alves is weighing in.

In an exclusive statement shared with PEOPLE, the Socked In For Christmas star addressed Joey Lawrence’s apparent reunion with his estranged wife, Samantha Cope.

“While these situations are always multifaceted, I’d like to keep the details of it and my friendship with Joey private,” she wrote of her relationship with Lawrence, 48. “As far as Joey and Sam reuniting and reconciling, it came as a surprise to me as everyone else, and if it’s true, I wish them all the love.”

Alves continued, “I wish them restoration with the relationship with his two older daughters and his wife as that relationship is ever so important. And now their sweet girl, Dylan, gets to be raised in a home with both of her parents, surrounded by her sisters, her wonderful and loving grandmother Donna, and the rest of her family and that’s truly beautiful.”

On Wednesday, Dec. 4, the Blossom alum, 48, appeared to hard-launch his reunion with Cope in an Instagram post that featured photos from the premiere of their new romantic comedy, Marry Christmas, which was filmed two years ago.

The first photo showed Lawrence with his hand around Cope’s waist as her hand rested on his chest. The second snap featured a photo of the two sharing a kiss with the words, “My forever after,” written underneath.

Their PDA-filled post comes four months after PEOPLE confirmed that Lawrence and Cope filed for divorce after two years of marriage in August. The two wed in May 2022 and share daughter Dylan, who turns 2 next month. Lawrence is also father to daughters Charleston, 18, and Liberty, 14, whom he shares with his ex-wife Chandie Yawn-Nelson.

At the time, a source told PEOPLE that Lawrence and Cope went their separate ways after he had an allegedly affair with Alves while filming Socked in for Christmas, which Alves has previously denied.

Shorty after, Alves issued a statement to her Instagram to clarify the nature of her relationship with Lawrence and how they became friends while filming the holiday movie.

“First and foremost, I want to clarify that there was no sexual relationship between Joey and myself while we were on set filming Socked in for Christmas,” she said. “Our relationship was a meaningful friendship that developed naturally due to the many similarities in our personal situations.”

Alves said the two found a “common ground in our shared experiences” which became the foundation for their “strong, supportive friendship that has been a source of strength for both of us” amid their failing marriages.

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For his part, Lawrence also addressed the allegations and life after Cope’s divorce filing on an episode of his podcast The Brotherly Love Pod.

“This has been a multifaceted journey these four [or] five years. Actually, there was a lot of pain in that journey despite public perception and what it looks like [on social],” he said at the time. “Life will move on and we will move through this. And my children will be at the forefront.”