Joey Lawrence’s estranged wife, Samantha Cope, posted a cryptic message about “loss” and “freedom” before filing for divorce.
“Not everything you lose is a loss. Some things are a freedom,” the passage read via Cope’s Instagram on June 11, which is the same month she claimed in court documents obtained by Us Weekly as the pair’s date of separation. “Some things are a second chance. Some things are a miracle in disguise. Some things are a detachment long-needed, a clarity brought to blurry eyes.”
The quote continued: “Some things are an intervention. Some things are the unexpected answer to a long-chanted prayer. Some things are a healing. Some things are a becoming. Some things are planned long before you ever came to be.”
The passage came from Brianna Wiest’s 101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think book, which is meant as a self-help tool. “Some things are a devastation, but others are a kind of vital guidance, the kind of course-correction you did not even know you needed,” the quote concluded. “The kind you did not even realize you were asking for all along.”
In addition to the quote, Cope, 37, shared a series of photos with her and Lawrence’s 19-month-old daughter, Dylan. Lawrence, 48, was not in any of the pictures. “Favs lately ⛅️ #summer #memories #babygirl #thankful,” Cope captioned the upload, which featured the mother-daughter duo smiling and playing music together.
Us confirmed on Wednesday, August 22, that Cope filed for divorce from Lawrence after two years of marriage.
Cope is requesting sole physical custody of their daughter, according to court documents. She explained in the filing that she would approve of Lawrence staying with Dylan up to two nights per week once the little girl turned 3. Cope also blocked the court’s ability to award spousal support.
Lawrence and Cope met on the set of Lifetime’s My Husband’s Secret Brother following his split from ex-wife Chandie Yawn-Nelson. Lawrence and Yawn-Nelson were married 15 years before their divorce in July 2020. The exes share daughters Charleston, 18, and Liberty, 14.
Us exclusively broke the news in August 2021 that Lawrence and Cope were engaged. The pair wed less than a year later in May 2022 and announced that September that Cope was pregnant with their first child.
The pair rejoiced in January 2023 when Dylan was born. “Mom, Dad and big sisters are all so smitten with you sweet girl!” Lawrence and Cope 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.”
In March, Lawrence teased that he’d been married “a billion times” because he’s a “hopeless romantic.” He exclusively told Us at the time, “It’s all about just trying to be happy. You got to be with the right person.”