‘Dancing With the Stars’ Pro Shares Heartfelt Tribute to Late Father

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Former “Dancing With the Stars” professional dancer Cheryl Burke shared a tribute to her father on the anniversary of the last time she saw him.

“Dad, it has been 5 whole years from today since I saw you last in person however, you will always & forever be in my heart and soul. Love you beyond words and I hope you’re proud of the woman I’ve become and continue to be,” Burke wrote on Instagram on March 10, 2023.

Burke’s father died in 2018, according to People.

“Dad, if I had one more chance to have you here with me today, I would do things differently,” she wrote on Instagram at the time. “Every day I would tell you how much I love you. I miss you so much already.”

Cheryl Burke Grew Up With Her Mother & Stepfather

Burke spoke about her childhood during an interview on “Allison Interviews.” During the interview, she described her biological father as “very non-commital.” He was an attorney, and, according to Burke, he owned strip clubs in Thailand.

Her mother got remarried, however, and she says she saw true love between her mother and stepfather.

“With my stepdad, I see her just being,” Burke said on the podcast. “Being in love does not mean the roller coaster ride of emotions. It is actually when everything is […] underneath it all. That is true love. The exciting emotional roller coaster, I’ve had it in every relationship, and clearly it doesn’t last.”

Burke and her ex-husband, Matthew Lawrence, got divorced in 2022. Burke filed the papers in February 2022, per Us Weekly.

The court documents obtained by Us Weekly revealed that Burke filed the divorce paperwork in Los Angeles, citing irreconcilable differences when listing why they were filing for divorce.

The divorce was finalized in September 2022.

Burke is Not Set to Return for ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 32

Cheryl Burke is not expected to make a return to “Dancing With the Stars” for season 32 of the show. Burke would have returned to the show, but not as a professional dancer, she revealed during the January 4, 2023 episode of her former partner Chris Jericho’s podcast, “Talk Is Jericho.”

Burke told Jericho that the show was “well aware” that she wanted to “evolve” within the confines of the show. She was done with being a professional dancer, but she was willing to continue with the show in another capacity.

“However, they don’t see a place for me,” Burke shared. “Whether that’s at the judge’s table or as a possible co-host, and that’s okay. I’m grateful, thank you for this experience, but I’m going to move forward.”

There were other reasons to her retiring, including the fact that she’s 38 years old.

“I am also in a period of my life where I am newly divorced and  I am working on me, and I want to learn and evolve in general. … I want to learn again,” she said when asked why she ultimately decided to retire from the ballroom dance competition.

The professional dancer added, “I take a step back, and I’m like, I need to grow, whether that is in the family that is not up to me when it comes to ‘Dancing With The Stars.’”

“Dancing With the Stars” is set to return in the fall of 2023.