Joey Lawrence Files for Divorce From Wife Chandie Yawn-Nelson After 15 Years of Marriage

Joey Lawrence, Chandie — Joey Lawrence and Chandie Yawn-Nelson. Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty

Joey Lawrence is parting ways with his wife of nearly 15 years, Chandie Yawn-Nelson.

PEOPLE confirms that the Blossom alum, 44, filed for divorce from Yawn-Nelson on Tuesday.

The filing comes weeks after Lawrence shared a sweet tribute to their daughters — Charleston, 14, and Liberty, 10 — in celebration of Father's Day.

"My reason for life. My greatest blessings," he wrote on Instagram, shared a photo of Charleston and Liberty cuddling next to the family dog. "Being the father of these two amazing, strong, powerful young ladies has brought more joy and happiness into my life than I ever imagined."

"God bless all the fathers out there who enjoy and share the same blessing of being a Dad. Our job as fathers is unparalleled and the most important and meaningful responsibility we ever could have," he added.

Lawrence first met Yawn-Nelson in 1993 when he was a teenager vacationing at Walt Disney World.

The pair reconnected more than a decade later and wed in 2005 following the actor's divorce from Michelle Vella, whom he was married to for three years.

"Being the cheesy romantic I was, I said, 'Hey look, there's the Disney wedding chapel! Maybe we'll get married there one day,'" Lawrence told PEOPLE in 2006 of their first date. "Long story short, we did!"

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In 2017, Lawrence and Yawn-Nelson filed for bankruptcy with just $8,000 in the bank and $60 in cash after accumulating $355,517.27 worth of liabilities — including $132,000 in credit card bills, $100,000 owed for automobiles, $88,000 in back taxes, $54,000 in unpaid rent and $32,000 for an unpaid loan.

The bankruptcy case was settled in 2018.