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‘DWTS’ Pro Cheryl Burke Files for Divorce From ‘Boy Meets World’ Alum Matthew Lawrence After 3 Years
It’s over! Dancing With the Stars pro Cheryl Burke and husband Matthew Lawrence have split after three years of marriage, Life & Style confirmed on Wednesday, February 23.
Cheryl, 37, broke her silence about their split one day later via Instagram, noting that she “strives” to be “an open book” with her followers.
“In writing this, I’ve realized there isn’t really an easy way to announce that my marriage is ending,” the San Francisco native wrote. “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 — love you all.”
The professional dancer filed for divorce from the former Boy Meets World actor, 42, in Los Angeles on February 18, citing “irreconcilable differences,” according to documents obtained by Life & Style. She noted January 7 as their date of separation, and the pair signed a prenuptial agreement in May 2019.
The former couple has a lot of history between them. They met during season 3 of DWTS when the Mrs. Doubtfire actor’s brother Joey Lawrence was a contestant on the dance competition show. Cheryl and Matthew dated from 2007 to 2008 before calling it quits. However, they rekindled their romance nearly a decade later in 2017 and got engaged in May 2018.
They tied the knot at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar hotel in San Diego in May 2019. The exes do not have any children but share a French bulldog pup named Ysa.
Cheryl previously reflected on her romance with Matthew and how it was the first time she had a healthy partner in her life after a “pattern of dating abusive men.”
“Looking back, I honestly think that the first relationship I ever had that did not fit this abusive pattern was when my now-husband Matt and I dated the first time around, back in 2007,” she explained via YouTube in December 2020. “I honestly think at the time when we first dated, I didn’t clearly love myself enough to think that I deserved to be with someone who was actually nice to me. And I was just wrapped up in this new get-out-of-jail-free card, L.A.-party lifestyle, whereas he had already kind of been there and done that, since he grew up in this industry.”
At the time, she gushed that she was “grateful and happy” they were able to reconnect and fall back in love.
“He is the complete opposite of everything bad about my past relationships,” the Dance Moms alum continued. “I think when I look back on this time in my life, I could sit here and say that I wish these things had never happened to me, but I look at it now as every part of my story has helped me to become the woman I am today.”
That being said, Cheryl admitted to Closer Weekly in 2019 that she and Matthew are “complete opposites.”
“I never understood what that meant when they say opposites attract until I met Matt,” she dished at the time, adding that “open communication” and “supporting one another” was how they made their marriage work.
Cheryl also called Matthew her “rock” amid her sobriety journey. She decided to stop drinking alcohol in 2018 after getting engaged to the former child actor, citing her father’s own struggles with addiction as the reason.
“It was just a decision that I made for myself,” Cheryl said on the “Lady Gang” podcast in September 2020 while reflecting on being two years sober. “And it was when Matt and I got engaged and it was during that engagement party that we were just like — or that I was like, he didn’t even know — I was just like, I was done.”
