DWTS Pro Says She’s Lost Friends Following Her Exit From the Show

Sharna Burgess, Cheryl Burke, Karina Smirnoff, and Kym Herjavec.

Heavy/ABC/Getty Cheryl Burke said her podcast caused some falling outs with her friends.

On December 7, 2023, retired “Dancing With the Stars” pro Cheryl Burke shared a “mental health check-in” on Instagram.

“So much has honestly happened the last few months in my life,” Burke said. “From grieving my stepsister’s shocking death that happened this past August, which is honestly all I’ll say right now about that. I just really want to respect my family’s privacy at the moment. But, what I will say is that life is so short. It really is. And I never really knew what that meant until recently,” she continued.

She went on to talk about how life constantly changes as do the people in it. However, Burke admits that through this season of change, the hardest was definitely what she experienced after she started her podcast, “Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans.”

Here’s what you need to know:


Cheryl Burke Referenced Losing Friends After Starting Her Podcast

Burke has received some backlash over her podcast, which is meant to be a look back at the experience on the show from various pros and contestants. Burke discussed this with Tom Bergeron on the October 16, 2023, episode of “Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans.

“It really pissed me off that you’re getting some heat for this,” Bergeron told Burke. “It’s just like f***** get a life. Relax. If you don’t like it, don’t listen. Don’t watch. Move on,” Bergeron added.

“How about this? A pro dancer came at me,” Burke said. Although she didn’t name any names, she did clearly say that it was someone from “Dancing With the Stars.” In her recent Instagram post, Burke appeared to touch on this again.

“You really know who your friends are when you’re up, right? But it’s when you’re down or struggling, you really know who your true friends are. The takeaway, I guess, for me is just to focus on what I do have as opposed to what I had or that feeling of lack,” she said.

“Those people in my life showed me their true colors,” Burke continued, not naming any names or referring to anyone in particular.


Many Fans Were Empathetic to Cheryl Burke’s Feelings on Losing Friends

Burke announced her decision to retire from “Dancing With the Stars” during season 32. In the time since, she’s admitted that lots of things have changed in her life, including her friendship circle — and this is something that many fans could relate to, as evidenced by the comments section on Burke’s post.

“Oh yes honey! When the party is over people disappear from your life, but that’s ok. There’s a time and a season for friends… a small select few is all you need in your tribe,” one person wrote.

“You hit it right on the head about relationships and friendships . Congratulations on your sobriety. Your amazing. So sorry to hear about your family loss. Truly heartbreaking,” someone else added.

“Thank you for being so open and sharing this, it gives me strength to keep moving forward myself as I realize I’m not alone in experiencing all these things. Sending you love right back,” a third comment read.

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