Joey Lawrence and his wife Samantha Cope are celebrating the arrival of their second child, a baby boy named Ford Joseph Lawrence, who was born on Monday, April 6, 2026. The couple shared the happy news on Instagram with a carousel of sweet photographs capturing their newborn son's first moments.
A Joyful Announcement After Turbulent Times
The Melissa & Joey star and the actress posted several intimate images, including two snaps of the pair cradling their newborn and a close-up picture of their swaddled son sleeping peacefully. Among the photos was a poignant black-and-white shot that appeared to show the aftermath of a water birth, with the new parents sharing a kiss while the baby nestled against his mother.
Lawrence also included a clip of what seemed to be a midwife weighing the newborn in a weigh sling. The couple's caption read: "Ford Joseph Lawrence. Our newest member has arrived. What an absolute blessing you are baby boy! It will be an Easter Weekend to remember forever. 4.6.26. God is so good!"
Overcoming Marital Challenges
This joyful development comes more than two years after the couple shelved their divorce and reconciled following serious allegations that Lawrence had an affair with his co-star Melina Alves. The accusations surfaced during the filming of the holiday movie Socked in for Christmas, later re-titled The Great Christmas Snow-In.
Lawrence and Cope, who are already parents to two-year-old daughter Dylan, revealed they were expecting their second child in November 2025. They noted that the pregnancy was not planned but was very much welcomed by both parents.
The former child star also has two daughters from a previous marriage: Liberty, 15, and Charleston, 19, with ex-wife Chandie Yawn-Nelson.
The Divorce Filing and Reconciliation
In August 2024, Cope filed for divorce from the former Blossom star, citing irreconcilable differences. She requested that neither party receive spousal support and asked for full custody of their daughter Dylan, with visitation rights for Lawrence limited to two nights per week once the child turned three.
The situation became more complicated when Lawrence was accused of having an affair with co-star Melina Alves shortly after the divorce filing. In August 2024, Lawrence vehemently denied these allegations on Instagram, stating: "These rumors are false. Our bond was based on shared experiences and an understanding of the challenges we were both facing in our personal lives."
Lawrence expressed that he was still "clinging to hope" that he could save his "deeply troubled marriage" to Cope, despite feeling it was "beyond saving." He explained that marital difficulties stemmed from differences that became "insurmountable" and concerns about his older daughters being accepted into the family.
Allegations and Denials
Documents obtained by TMZ revealed that Alves' estranged husband, Edward Rider, who filed for divorce in July 2024, claimed he discovered the alleged affair between Alves and Lawrence in March 2024. Rider asserted the affair took place in California and "at various other times and places."
At the time, a source told People magazine that Lawrence had "love-bombed" Alves on the set of their film, a pattern reportedly similar to his courtship of Cope when they met on the set of their Lifetime movie My Husband's Secret Brother.
Rebuilding Their Relationship
Cope and Lawrence first met in 2020 while filming the Lifetime movie My Husband's Secret Brother. They became engaged in 2021 and married the following year in 2022.
In July 2025, Lawrence opened up about their decision to repair their marriage, stating: "I think it's too easy," referring to divorce. "As much as 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."
The actor explained that they ultimately realized they had "something so special here" worth fighting for, leading to their reconciliation and the subsequent expansion of their family with the arrival of their son Ford Joseph Lawrence.
