DWTS Pro Cheryl Burke Gets Candid about Her Struggle with Alcohol Addiction
Cheryl Burke, a “Dancing with the Stars” professional dancer, recently became candid about her struggles with alcohol addiction. It’s been two years that the star has been sober.
Cheryl Burke, 36, recently marked two years of being sober after deciding to quit alcohol. She made her confession while appearing remotely on “Good Morning America (GMA)” on Monday.
Speaking about her struggles, she confessed: “I am an addict. I have addict tendencies.” The “Dancing with the Stars (DWTS)” professional dancer also unashamedly admitted: “I was a party girl.”
Cheryl Burke visits Hallmark's "Home & Family" at Universal Studios Hollywood on October 26, 2018, in Universal City, California | Photo: Paul Archuleta/Getty Images
HOW SHE BECAME AN ALCOHOLIC
Burke admitted to being on “TMZ” daily and going out pretty much all seven nights of a week. She confessed that she ended up taking her whole partying behavior to the next level and it became an issue.
Burke recently revealed that she and her husband weren’t ready to have children yet.
The star revealed that drinking started becoming an everyday habit for her. Her addition might have been brought on by her upbringing as she also shared that her family had a history of alcoholism.
HISTORY OF ALCOHOLISM
Burke revealed how her father had been an alcoholic before. She admitted that she wasn’t sure if the illness was genetic but she knew that it ran in her family and she didn’t want to go down that same path.
Two years ago, the DWTS dancer made the tough decision to finally get sober. She made the decision at a very significant moment in her life – her engagement party to then-fiancé Matthew Lawrence.
FRIENDS CHANGE
The star shared how big life-changing decisions often caused one’s friends to change. She revealed that some people would support such a decision while others wouldn’t.
Burke noted that the only way to handle it was to just accept it. For his part, Lawrence has been a great support system for her and she confessed she wasn’t sure where she would be if he wasn’t there.
LAUNCHING A PODCAST
On another good note, Burke and her season 29 DWTS celebrity dance partner, A.J. McLean, 42, have launched a podcast together last month. The Backstreet Boys singer and the dancer have an iHeartRadio podcast called “Pretty Messed Up.”
On the podcast, the pair will discuss their journey on DWTS, their love lives, life in general, friends and their enemies, mental health, and more. The duo hosts the show alongside their fellow host Rene Elizondo Jr.
GETTING PREGNANT
Speaking about Burke talking about her private life, the star recently revealed that she and her husband weren’t ready to have children yet. She explained, last month, that the outbreak of the novel coronavirus made it a not so ideal time to have a child.
The dancer shared how she felt it was a healthier option to wait before getting pregnant. Burke also noted that she already felt like she was a mother to all of her dance partners on DWTS.