Madelaine Petsch Defends Pregnant Riverdale Costar Vanessa Morgan amid Michael Kopech Divorce
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Madelaine Petsch is defending her friend and Riverdale costar Vanessa Morgan against "disgusting" comments about her divorce from husband Michael Kopech.
On Saturday, Morgan, 28, announced on Instagram that she is expecting her first child, a boy, with the baseball pro. Shortly after, news broke that Morgan and Kopech are calling it quits after only six months of marriage.
While several fans congratulated Morgan on her baby news, one social media user wrote on Monday: "Don't disrespect our pitcher like that," in reference to the White Sox player.
Petsch, 25, fired back, writing, "Honestly, if I see one more comment like this I'll lose it."
"Vanessa is a beautiful mother to be and the hate and disrespect I'm seeing on this post about her bringing a new life into this world is disgusting," Petsch added.
RELATED: Vanessa Morgan Is Pregnant! Riverdale Star Reveals the Sex of Her Baby on the Way
Petsch and Morgan, who play on-screen couple Cheryl Blossom and Toni Topaz, have become close friends. Petsch was even a bridesmaid in the mom-to-be's wedding in January, which took place at the Walton Historic House in Florida.
A post shared by Vanessa Morgan (@vanessamorgan) on Jul 24, 2020 at 1:27pm PDT
Kopech, 24, filed for divorce in his home state of Texas on June 19, The Chicago Tribune reported, citing court records. The documents were filed in Morris County and a hearing date was not listed, according to the outlet. The athlete first announced their engagement last July, after a year of dating.
A representative for Morgan confirmed to PEOPLE that Kopech is the father of Morgan's baby on the way but declined to comment on the divorce filing. A spokesperson for Kopech did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
Kopech did not appear in any of the photos or videos that Morgan shared announcing her pregnancy.
Vanessa Morgan/ Instagram
"Was debating keeping this part of my life hidden but I knew people would see pictures eventually with my belly & I wanted you guys to hear it from me," Morgan began in an Instagram slideshow. "I do want to keep this chapter of my life private but did want to be the first to share the news."
CW Madelaine Petsch and Vanessa Morgan in Riverdale
"I am overjoyed to be welcoming my baby boy into the world this January," Morgan continued. "It’s almost like eveything [sic] I thought mattered in this life has completely changed.. We’re here for such a greater purpose and life is so precious."
Earlier this month, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn revealed that his top pitching prospect had decided not to participate in the upcoming season.
David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images Vanessa Morgan and Michael Kopech
“Michael Kopech has informed us of his decision to not participate in the 2020 season,” Hahn told Forbes in a statement on July 10. “We recognize that reaching this decision is incredibly difficult for any competitive athlete, and our organization is understanding and supportive. We will work with Michael to assure his development continues throughout 2020, and we look forward to welcoming him back into our clubhouse for the 2021 season.”
A rep for the White Sox did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
Prior to this announcement, Kopech had also been absent from the White Sox spring-training camp. At the time, Hahn told The Chicago Sun-Times it was related to "personal" reasons.
"I do not have a timeline for his return, and given the personal nature of the matter he’s tending to, I won’t provide updates until we know the actual plan for Michael going forward," Hahn said in early July.
