Cheryl Burke says Dancing With the Stars exit was harder than Matthew Lawrence divorce

Cheryl Burke's career divorce was harder on her than her divorce from actor Matthew Lawrence.

The professional dancer spoke candidly about how difficult it was to leave Dancing With the Stars back in 2022, sharing on the recent episode of Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes' podcast that her 26 seasons on the show helped shape her identity.

“You said you went through two divorces in 2022, Dancing With the Stars and your now ex-husband. Which one was harder?” Robach asked.

“Dancing With the Stars," Burke said. "I mean, hands down, you can't compare.”

"That's not to suggest that your divorce from your husband was easy," Holmes interjected. "That's not an easy thing. But help us with context there. We think about a marriage and then a career change, right? So why was that experience with Dancing With the Stars so much more difficult, painful to go through?”

Burke — who was just 21 years old when she joined the long-running competition series in 2006, during season 2 — called DWTS her "identity."

"I credit them for giving me a voice in general," she said. "I never thought I could ever be my own independent woman back then. I think coming into my own and being able to stand on my own two feet, I credit Dancing With the Stars for that."

Burke and Lawrence, best known for his roles on Boy Meets World and Mrs. Doubtfire, were married between 2019 and 2022. They met through Lawrence's brother Joey Lawrence, a contestant on season 3 of DWTS. Burke said on the podcast that she "learned a lot" during the marriage. "I learned that you can't buy love," Burke said. "Obviously, I didn't buy my ex-husband, but I definitely would say I was the breadwinner." Bringing home the bacon made Burke "feel good, but then it didn't necessarily make the relationship good," she said.

Listen to Burke's interview below for more insights from her time on the show, including the showmances she had with dance partners.

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