Yahoo News Cheryl Burke Says “Dancing with the Stars” Exit Was 'Hands Down' Harder Than Divorce from Matthew Lawrence
Burke said 'Dancing with the Stars' was "my identity" before she departed the series in 2022 after 26 seasons
Cheryl Burke knows all too well that some breakups are harder than others.
While appearing on the Amy & T.J. podcast, the professional dancer, 39, admitted leaving Dancing with the Stars was more difficult than her 2022 divorce from Matthew Lawrence.
When co-host Amy Robach asked which “divorce” was harder, Burke responded, "Dancing With the Stars. I mean hands down. You can't compare."
The television personality then clarified that her split from Lawrence, 44, was “absolutely not” easy but she found departing the ABC dance competition more difficult.
"That was my identity… I credit them for giving me a voice in general,” she said of Dancing with the Stars.
“I think coming into my own and being able to stand on my own two feet, I credit Dancing with the Stars for that,” she added. “And I think because they've seen me through it all… It's hard. It's hard.”
Christopher Willard via Getty
From left: Cody Rigsby and Cheryl Burke on "Dancing with the Stars"Related: Cheryl Burke Recalls Once Believing She Was Too Fat for TV During Dancing with the Stars Days
Burke participated in 26 seasons of Dancing with the Stars before departing the series in November 2022. That same year, she and Lawrence announced their split after three years of marriage. The two then finalized their divorce in September 2022.
In a different part of the podcast episode, Burke spoke about how she “learned that you can't buy love" before admitting that being the breadwinner in her marriage to Lawrence was not beneficial to their relationship.
“I tried to not obviously, I didn't buy my ex husband, but, like, I definitely would say I was the breadwinner,” she said while reflecting on her marriage and divorce. “Like, I supported us, and I don't think it's black and white.”
Of bringing home finances, Burke added, “It's like — it made me feel good, but then it didn't necessarily make the relationship good.”
In the first part of her appearance on the Amy & T.J. podcast, Burke reflected on her experience on the series.
The professional dancer said that while not everything is "all glitter and rhinestones," every experience has "the bad, the good, the ugly."
"Regardless, I think at the end of the day, everyone can say about this show is that they took something away from the show and it made them into a better person somehow, whether that be them losing weight or them gaining confidence or whatever it is," she shared.
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"And I always, I always am going back to the fact that I am in gratitude for my experience and my time with the network and with you know, Dancing with the Stars in general,” she added.
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