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A “Dancing With the Stars” cast member is speaking out about his former dance partner’s divorce.
According to TMZ, Cheryl Burke and Matthew Lawrence ended their marriage in early 2022. Since then, Burke has been open about working on herself and even started a podcast in which she dives into some of the feelings that she’s experiencing post-split.
Burke’s season 29 dance partner AJ McLean has stayed friends with her over the years and he’s speaking out about her split — and how she’s doing.
“She’s gonna be my ride or die homie forever … She always knows that she can pick up the phone and call me anytime — any day, doesn’t matter when,” he told Us Weekly. “And she just knows that, obviously, the only way around [divorce] is through, and this is something that she has to go through right now, unfortunately,” he added.
Here’s what you need to know:
McLean Hopes Burke & Lawrence Can Keep Things ‘Amicable’
It’s unknown if Burke and Lawrence have been in communication since their decision to split but Burke told Tamron Hall that they did go to therapy before ending their marriage and they both really did try to work on things.
“Emotions and feelings can get in the way and can get misconstrued. I’m a huge advocate for that. We definitely did try. People evolve. People grow. And sometimes they grow together and sometimes they unfortunately grow apart,” she explained, according to People magazine.
And while divorce isn’t easy, McLean says that he hopes that Burke and her ex can “stay friends.”
“She’s an absolute sweetheart and, obviously, she’s a different person off the show — she’s not in that competition mode. She’s just chill … She’s just an awesome human being. Hopefully, her and her ex-husband will be amicable and they can, obviously, stay friends. Who knows what the future holds,” he told Us Weekly.
All in all, “she is doing well,” McLean said.
Burke Is Planning to Return to DWTS for Season 31
On the May 31, 2022, episode of “Burke in the Game” podcast, the longtime ballroom pro said that she’s planning on competing on season 31 on “Dancing With the Stars.”
On the episode, Burke talked about freezing her eggs in hopes of one day becoming a mom. She said that she plans to start the process after the season is over.
“I think that for my own sanity, it’s probably best to wait until as soon as I get eliminated,” Burke said.
In a 2021 interview with Tamron Hall, Burke said something similar about the process.
“[The show is] a huge accomplishment and I am grateful for that experience. 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 is not okay I can’t perform,” she explained.
The new season of DWTS will stream on Disney+ in the fall. The network has yet to confirm which pros will be competing.
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