‘DWTS’: Cheryl Burke Admits Sobriety Is A Struggle At The Moment

Cheryl Burke from The Kelly Clarkson Show

Dancing With The Stars pro Cheryl Burke has always been an open book when it comes to struggling with addiction and her sobriety. Although Cheryl has been sober for a number of years, she admits to really struggling whenever she’s dealing with something serious or difficult in her life. And her divorce from actor Matthew Lawrence is really causing her to stumble.

Keep reading to see what the professional dancer has to say about her ongoing battle to stay sober.

Cheryl Burke opens up about being tempted by alcohol

The absolute last thing that Cheryl Burke wants is to break sobriety and have a drink of alcohol. But right now, that’s easier said than done. The 38-year-old dancer is in the middle of divorcing her husband and trying to reenter the dating world. She’s dealing with a whirlwind of heavy emotions right now and is struggling to cope.

Cheryl Burke from The Kelly Clarkson Show
Cheryl Burke/The Kelly Clarkson Show

“I don’t wanna say that I’ve been feeling like drinking again lately, but it’s definitely been on my mind a lot more than normal,” Cheryl confessed during an episode of her podcast, Burke In The Game. “I talked to my therapist about it and I guess also because I haven’t been very active with the program and with taking that fourth step that I seem to be stuck on for like the longest time now, but I’m going to slowly get back into it.”

The dancer went on to explain that there is a dangerous time frame when she’s more tempted to drink.

“I just noticed, though, when I was out with my friends the other night, that there’s a time frame where I should not be out, and I think it’s past 10:30,” the DWTS Season 2 champ continued. “I know that’s like a senior citizen time, but I noticed that after dinner, people want to go out afterwards.”

Cheryl went on to say that she prefers to drop people off and then go home. She finds that she’s most triggered when she’s around people who are drinking, especially when it’s nighttime.

The dancer finds help and strength through friendship

Like many other people who struggle with alcohol addiction, Cheryl Burke admits she has used it to numb her emotions in the past. But that’s not who she wants to be any longer. Although it may be difficult at times, she’s committed to maintaining her sobriety. Diving into her work has been a helpful distraction.

Thankfully, she has friends like AJ McLean to help. The pair bonded over their addiction issues when they competed together on Dancing With The Stars Season 29.

AJ McLean from Instagram
AJ McLean/Instagram

“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,” the Backstreet Boy 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.”

Follow TV Shows Ace online for more on Cheryl Burke and other DWTS pros. Stay tuned for more information. The Season 31 premiere will be here before you know it, so keep checking back for more.

Nikole Behrens
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