ABC/Laretta Houston(LOS ANGELES) — Dancing with the Stars pro Cheryl Burke announced Tuesday that she has crossed a major milestone. She’s officially two years sober.
Speaking to the LadyGang podcast, the dancing star opened up about her past addiction to alcohol and why she walked away from the destructive lifestyle.
“It was just a decision that I made for myself,” Burke attested, adding that she didn’t enter the Alcoholics Anonymous program. “It was when Matt [Lawrence] and I got engaged and it was during that engagement party that… I was just like, I was done.”
The former Dance Moms coach went onto explain that she chose to give up alcohol because she didn’t want to end up like her father.
“My dad was an alcoholic,” Burke revealed, adding that he passed away. “So either I was gonna crash and burn and check myself into rehab or I was gonna just quit cold turkey.”
The professional dancer went onto reveal that her snap decision to quit alcohol is an example of her personality, adding that she sees things “either black or white.”
Burke also opened up about how her past experiences with addiction allowed her to develop a close bond with dance partner AJ McLean.
“We just bonded right away,” Burke expressed when recounting how she and McLean met via Zoom for the first time. Now, they can feely talk about their therapy and self help because of their past struggles.
While most of their deep discussions wind up being cut, Burke says she completely understands why DWTS shies away from airing such sensitive content.
“It’s not about us. It’s about the celebrity 100 percent,” she explained, adding that she is completely fine with the show keeping things bright and positive.
By Megan Stone
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