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Cheryl Burke and Matthew Lawrence are getting a divorce. The Dancing with the Stars pro addressed her social media followers regarding the situation. Here’s what Burke had to say.

'Dancing with the Stars' pro Cheryl Burke at a 2022 NFL event
Cheryl Burke | Paul Archuleta/Getty Images

Cheryl Burke and Matthew Lawrence divorce after three years 

Burke and Lawrence got married on May 23, 2019. According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Burke filed for divorce on Feb. 18, 2022, at a Los Angeles courthouse. 

She listed her and Lawrence’s separation date as Jan. 7, citing irreconcilable differences as the grounds for divorce. The documents also note the prenuptial agreement Burke and Lawrence have arranged. 

The ‘Dancing with the Stars’ pro is asking for privacy and understanding regarding her divorce 

Burke took to Instagram on Feb. 24 to address her followers. “I know I have always said that I’m an open book with you guys,” her message started. “I do strive to be.” Burke has been open with her fans about her body dysmorphia and addiction to alcohol in the past. 

She continued: “In writing this I’ve realized that my marriage is ending. I hope you can understand that I will not be commenting any further at this time and am asking for understanding and privacy.” 

Burke thanked her followers for their “kind words and support” thus far. “Love you all,” she signed off. 

Cheryl Burke and Matthew Lawrence broke up before 

Burke first met the Boy Meets World actor in 2007 when his brother, Joey, was a Dancing with the Stars competitor. At the time, Burke was drinking seven nights a week. As she revealed on the Pretty Messed Up podcast, her drinking was the reason she and Lawrence broke up initially.

“After about a year, it just kept getting worse,” Lawrence said regarding Burke’s drinking. “It was now 4-5 in the morning she was coming home. It was just too much, and so I ended it.” The two rekindled their romance in 2016 and got married two years later. 

Cheryl Burke wants to have kids 

One of the topics Burke has been incredibly open about with her fans is having kids. In September 2021, she talked about her career as a ballroom dancer and having children as a guest on The Tamron Hall Show. 

“[Dancing with the Stars is] a huge accomplishment and I am grateful for that experience,” said Burke. “But I’m not like these other girls who just had babies and can just bounce back. I know my body, but I also, more importantly, know my own mental health and if I have this body image issue that I’m dealing with, again, if this [my head] is not okay I can’t perform.”

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Cheryl Burke Feels Like ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Isn’t the Same Because of This Judge, Considers Retiring

Later, in a conversation with Dancing with the Stars pro Witney Carson in another episode of Pretty Messed Up, Burke talked about wanting to possibly retire from the ABC competition series before having a child. 

“I want to know that I’m done with this phase of my life,” Burke told her co-star. “Waiting another year is not going to hurt. I do need to freeze my eggs and I’m really nervous about that. [That probably needs to happen] this year, which would mean I have to get off of my birth control, which means I’m a little paranoid about it.”

Retiring from DWTS also came up during Carson and Burke’s discussion. Stay tuned to Showbiz Cheat Sheet for updates.

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