Joey Lawrence is engaged! A year after filing for divorce from longtime wife Chandie Yawn-Nelson, the actor, 45, is engaged to actress Samantha Cope, Us Weekly has reported. The former child star confirmed the news to the outlet while promoting his upcoming film Swim, which will debut on the streaming service Tubi on August 13.
When asked about his upcoming wedding plans, Joey teased to the outlet: “There’s a lot of stuff going on, you know, there’s a lot of stuff going on, which we’ll talk about soon, but yeah, it’s a lot of great stuff,” he said. “She’s the best person ever.” Joey met the actress, 34, met on set of their upcoming Lifetime TV movie A Deadly Deed, directed by Joey’s brother Andrew.
Joey also opened up about unexpectedly finding love on set. “We met there and out of nowhere, you know, it was a crazy year and a half for everybody, obviously the whole world,” he told Us Weekly. “Then when you least expect [it], amazing things happen and meeting her has just been really the greatest thing ever.”
Prior to the confirmation, the actress shared an “appreciation post” for her fiancé on Instagram last month. “appreciation post for this guy,” Samantha captioned a photo of the two. “Life is so full of blessings but also little unpredictable battles. I can’t thank you enough for staying positive even in the toughest of times. You’re my fav babe.”
Joey and Chandie filed for divorce in July 2020 after 15 years of marriage. The two share children Liberty Grace, 11, and Charleston, 15, together. The duo cited irreconcilable differences in court documents, and the two are seeking joint legal and physical custody of both their children, per Entertainment Tonight. The split came two weeks after the couple celebrated their anniversary.
A month before the divorce filings, Joey paid homage to his daughters on Father’s Day and gave no indication of a split. “My reason for life. My greatest blessings,” he captioned the IG post. “Being the father of these two amazing, strong, powerful young ladies (and Ofcourse my son pictured there in the middle..lol) has brought more joy and happiness into my life then I ever could have imagined… Our job as fathers is unparalleled and literally the most important and meaningful responsibility we ever could have.”
