Cheryl Burke isn’t dancing around the disrespect.
In fact, the former Dancing With the Stars pro hit back at fans who used unkind words about her appearance while disagreeing with how she scored the contestants while guest judging on the ABC competition’s Oct. 28 Halloween Night episode.
“I have seen so many mixed reviews, which is totally fine, but what’s not okay is that I’ve also seen so many aggressive ones and a lot of body-shamming ones,” Cheryl said in a video posted on Instagram Oct. 30. “And also, some amazing and beautiful messages and even some constructive criticism, which I am all here for. I know that I did the best that I could with the information that I had and what I saw in real time.”
Though the 41-year-old didn’t call out any specific comments, she encouraged fans of the series to be mindful of how they discuss others and who they do it in front of.
“For the people who think body shamming is okay, especially in front of your children” she said. “That sends a powerful message about what you value and clearly, it’s not kindness.”
Cheryl—who competed on the series for 26 seasons—reiterated that she remained “fair” throughout the entire competition. Especially when it came to her not exactly aligning scores with fellow judges Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli.
“I was simply again, doing my job as a judge, giving feedback based on almost 20 years of my life,” Cheryl—who competed as a pro on the series for 26 seasons—said. “And if my score was different from the other judges, it was by one point.”
“I have dedicated my whole life towards being a competitor of ballroom dancing. You don’t have to agree with my critique, but you do have to recognize the influence your words have on the next generation watching you,” she added. “If that’s the example you choose to set, then please I beg of you, leave my name out of it.”
Cheryl has been candid about the scrutiny she received from DWTS fans about her appearance while competing on the series, and how that affected her everyday life.
“I do suffer from body dysmorphia,” she told Entertainment Tonight in June. “Especially as a dancer in front of mirrors constantly since I was a little girl, and this was even before my Dancing with the Stars career.”
For Cheryl—who has denied plastic surgery and the use of GLP-1 weight loss medicine—learning to love herself outweighs all the online negativity.
“Now I have to choose myself, I have to choose to be healthy,” she shared. “And it is something that I put as my number one priority, and maybe this is why I'm not dating—I'm really focusing on me and feeling good, first from within, and then whatever follows, follows.”
For more of Cheryl’s candid confessions, keep reading…
A Tough Break
Cheryl Burke admitted that her 2022 exit from Dancing With the Stars was "hands down" harder than her divorce from Matthew Lawrence, who she split with that same year.
"You can't compare," she shared in an April 2024 episode of Amy & T.J. podcast, explaining that the show was her "identity" at one point. "I credit them for giving me a voice in general."
More Money, More Problems
Reflecting on her three-year marriage with the Boy Meets World actor, Cheryl believes her DWTS salary put a strain on their relationship.
"I learned that you can't buy love," she said on Amy & T.J. "Obviously, I didn't buy my ex-husband, but I definitely would say I was the breadwinner. I supported us."
Dance Like You Mean It
The dancer got candid about being the challenges of not being able to choose a DWTS partner as a pro dancer, sharing that "whoever walks in through that door, you don't turn around and walk out."
"This is showbiz," she told Variety in 2023. "I'm an employee. You can't just turn around and walk out and say I'm sorry. That's not part of the contract. It's a fine line."
Too Hot to Foxtrot
Cheryl set the record straight on rumors that she hooked up with her Dancing With the Stars season eight partner Gilles Marini when they were training together in 2009.
"We had that thing without having that thing," she said in an April 2024 episode of the Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans podcast. "Chemistry."
Though Cheryl admitted that the two were "very close," she said, "Nothing has ever happened physically between us."
Open Book
Amid her divorce, Cheryl had a blunt message for critics who thought she was sharing too much about her personal life on social media.
"Don't waste the time to comment because I do know for a fact that I'm helping at least one person," she said in an E! News interview. "At the end of the day, those people I feel might need to take a note a little bit and really just understand that this is somebody's story."
Going Sober
Cheryl has been open about her sobriety journey, sharing that the 2018 death of her dad was what led her to abstain from alcohol.
"My father passed away—and my dad was an alcoholic—so either I was gonna crash and burn and check myself into rehab, or I was gonna just quit cold turkey," she said in a 2020 episode of the LadyGang podcast. "That's just my personality. It's either black or white."
Getting Vulnerable
And the Dance Moms coach isn't afraid of showing her vulnerable side.
"To say that my sobriety has been easy would be a lie," Cheryl said in a June 2021 YouTube video. "When I keep secrets or don't tell my truth to everyone, including my followers, that's when it gets scary for me."