Joey Lawrence ‘Never Thought’ He’d Be Involved in a Cheating Scandal: It’s a ‘Tangled Mess’

Whoa! On the heels of Joey Lawrence 's wife, Samantha Cope , filing for divorce , rumors are swirling that the Blossom alum cheated on the actress with his Socked in for Christmas costar Melina Alves .

Melina's estranged husband, Edward Rider , has filed for divorce, too, and according to court docs, he claims to have discovered their affair in late March.

However, Melina, 40, denies the allegations, insisting she never had a sexual relationship with Joey, 48, while they were on set shooting the holiday film.

"It's an ugly, tangled mess," an insider exclusively tells Life & Style . "Joey never thought he'd be involved in something like this."

In a lengthy statement posted to Instagram on August 29, Joey denied having an affair with Melina, writing in part, "With a deep sense of responsibility, I want to respond to the recent allegations surrounding my personal life, including my divorce and the claims of an affair with Melina Alves. Melina and I became close friends and I did not have a physical relationship with her while filming the movie Socked in for Christmas . 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."