Cheryl Burke Reveals How Her Haters Get Under Her Skin
DWTS pro Cheryl Burke is in a difficult stage of life at the moment. Earlier this year, she announced that she and her husband of three years, Matthew Lawrence, were divorcing. Ending a relationship can be challenging enough on its own, but Cheryl also has other demons she battles.
In the past, the 38-year-old dancer has spoken out about her alcohol addiction and mental health challenges. Now, she’s opening up about her body dysmorphia issues as well. Keep reading to see what she had to say.
Cheryl Burke’s body image issues deeply impact her mental health
As a dancer, Cheryl Burke has spent a lot of time training and eating the right foods so her body can perform well. But even so, she really struggles with her body image and mental health issues. The professional dancer recently opened up about her insecurities on an episode of the HypchondriActor podcast. PEOPLE took the time to provide quotes from the episode.
In the past, Cheryl admitted her struggle with addiction controlled her life. But she’s been sober for a number of years now. That’s great news, but now her body dysmorphia is setting in.
“Now that I’m sober, I have body dysmorphia because I’m a dancer,” Cheryl confessed during the episode. “I mean, tell me one dancer that doesn’t.”
“So when I look at myself in the mirror and someone says, ‘Oh, you look amazing,’ I see someone who is overweight and, in my eyes and in my way of judging myself, not amazing,” she continued. “It’s like no matter what I look like.”
Cheryl also said that she’s spent her entire life in the ballroom dancing scene, so her weight and image has always been a topic of heavy scrutiny. But the issues didn’t all stem from there.
The dancer received hate and ridicule over her body
Cheryl Burke has plenty of fans but sadly has some haters too. She admitted on the podcast that many people had negative things to say about her body throughout her years on DWTS.
“Not only was my dance coach just harder on me, but because I’m naturally curvy, like I have hip bones, it is what it is. But also, the nation decided to call me fat about season seven or eight when I got off my birth control and I retained 15 lbs. of water weight, which I thought was going to obviously be the opposite — normally people lose weight when they get off birth control,” the dancer continued.
“So I decided to get off of it right at the beginning of the season and I gained weight like in less than a week, literally 15 lbs. of water weight. And then it was a big deal, like ‘Cheryl’s too fat for TV,'” Cheryl described the painful memories. “Ever since then, it’s been really nonstop. I have to be very conscious and kind of take a step back and to see that happen. So, you know, it will ruin my mood. So let’s say I have a fitting and it doesn’t fit the way [I want]. Or if I feel bloated, like what normal humans go through, it will affect my mood for the rest of the day.”
Cheryl Burke’s story is sad, but could actually help many others who feel the same way she does. Her fans hope that she continues to dance and share her struggles with the rest of the world.
Don’t forget that a brand new season of Dancing With The Stars comes out on September 19, 2022. If you’re interested in keeping up with the latest DWTS news, be sure to follow TV Shows Ace online.
Stay tuned for more stories like this one.
- ‘DWTS’ Cheryl Burke Says She Financially Supported Ex-Husband - April 18, 2024
- The REAL Reason Patrick Mahomes Won’t Host ‘SNL’ - April 17, 2024
- Cheryl Burke Believes She’s Burned Bridges With ‘DWTS’ Execs - April 17, 2024