Pixabay A DWTS pro's ex has nothing but wonderful things to say about his new girlfriend.
The ex-husband of “Dancing With the Stars” pro Cheryl Burke has officially moved on. Matthew Lawrence has gone public with his new relationship after finding love again with Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas from the 90s girl group TLC.
Lawrence and Thomas went Instagram official on December 31, 2022. And, in a March 2023 interview, Lawrence talked about his new romance, praising his girlfriend and calling her “special.”
“Life is always a surprise,” Lawrence told Entertainment Tonight. “My life is in a complete bloom right now. I get to spend time with an amazing woman like Chilli. I’ve never gotten to be able to experience that kind of relationship before, so it’s quite special. She’s a really, really special human being. I wish more people on the planet were like her. We’d be much better off,” she added.
“She’s just got, you know, her morals and her values,” Lawrence continued. “The way she treats her family. She loves my family, so important. We get along. We’ll talk on the phone and she’s like, ‘My mom’s calling me.’ I’m like, ‘Go get it. I know how important that is.’ Same thing like my mom calls me. It’s not like, ‘Why are you talking to your mom?!’ It’s like, ‘Oh, your mom. Go talk to your mom,’ you know?” he added.
Here’s what you need to know:
Matthew Lawrence & Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas Haven’t Posted Together on Instagram Since 2022
When Lawrence and Thomas were first spotted hanging out together, they were quick to deny any and all rumors that they were more than friends. In August 2022, TMZ shared photos of Lawrence and Thomas hanging out in Hawaii. A rep for Thomas told the outlet that their relationship was platonic. Four months later, however, the two revealed that they were together.
On March 1, 2023, TMZ caught the pair at the airport, and pictures of them hugging and kissing were uploaded. Thomas was flying in from an unknown location and Lawrence picked her up, assisting with her bags — and letting her know just how much she was missed.
The outlet caught up with Lawrence and Thomas a few days earlier and Lawrence spoke very highly of his girlfriend at that point as well. He admitted that they “like to keep things private” but said that they are coming out with a podcast soon.
Lawrence was married to Burke from 2019 through 2022.
“I know I have always said I’m an open book with you guys, I do strive to be, and in writing this I’ve realized there really isn’t an easy way to announce that my marriage is ending. I hope you can understand that I will not be commenting any further at this time and am asking for understanding and privacy. Thank you all for all the kind words and support you’ve given me,” Burke wrote in a statement shared on Instagram in February 2022.
According to Us Weekly, Burke cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the divorce.
Fans Have Reacted to Matthew Lawrence’s New Relationship
Some fans have been under the impression that Lawrence cheated on Burke with Thomas, but the TLC singer was quick to call people out for spreading “lies.”
“Yeah, cheating on your wife ect is super awesome,” one person commented on Thomas’ Instagram post. Others also commented similar things, to which Thomas replied, “STOP with the LIES pls.”
Now, it seems “Dancing With the Stars” fans are supporting Lawrence and Thomas’ new relationship.
“They look happy. I’m happy for then. I hope Cheryl can find peace one day,” one person commented on a Reddit thread about Lawrence and Thomas.
“They are so cute!! I was kinda shocked when I heard they were dating, but they’re so cute together,” someone else added.
“They are random but I like it. I don’t know what happened with him and Cheryl though. Too bad,” a third said.
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