Quote from Oladosun Joshua Segun on August 6, 2025, 9:07 PM

Cheryl Burke is sick of the social media craze. The former pro dancer on Dancing with the Stars has been under a lot of scrutiny over the years, particularly for her appearance. Now, Cheryl is talking about how the criticism affected her mental health and even made her want to end her seven-year sobriety.

In an August 6 interview with Us Weekly, she discussed whether she ever thought about drinking in the midst of the hostility. “It was something that I definitely thought about doing, but I wouldn’t be able to live with that shame or guilt if I were to relapse. To have thrown seven years down the drain, I’d hate myself.”

“I’ve taken so much time to love who I see in the mirror, that is something that’s also new to me,” Cheryl went on, “but I definitely am on that path. I would hate what I would see if I ever drank a sip of alcohol.”

But for many years, drinking gave Cheryl "constant confidence" and "the courage to go out," so the temptation was there. The former presenter of the Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans podcast, however, is "really proud" of her development after seven years sober.

And she attributes her current state of mental health in large part to her ability to block out the distractions.

The 41-year-old clarified, “It’s always been this race for me to try and gain others’ acceptance rather than find it within myself.” “To say that the social media bullying has not affected me would be a lie. I’m human… There were days it got really bad, and I did get depressed because it’s now on a whole other level of dehumanizing.”

And Cheryl is pleased to say, "It doesn't affect me as much as it did," given the world she and her therapist have created over the past 15 years. She has also been able to "remember who she really" is and that "the outside noise" does not define her, thanks to an energy healer.

And lately, the outside noise has been especially loud because Cheryl is the subject of accusations that she has lightened her complexion and taken weight-loss medications, both of which she vehemently rejects.

Beyond the lifestyle adjustments she made to help her lose weight, she really attributes a large portion of her new looks to finding her identity outside of Dancing with the Stars, which for so long determined how she looked.

“I’ve never gone under the knife to get anything done,” she stated. “There’s been no nips, tucks, Ozempic, nothing like that. To be called a liar obviously doesn’t feel good, but I also know my truth. I’m learning to feel comfortable in my skin, my actual skin I was born with. This is who I am, and I feel great that I don’t have layers of makeup on; this is just for me.”

In her own words, “Being 41 is a change. My career, relationship status and where I live have changed. Those are huge changes; and you can either fight it, or you can embrace it.” And Cheryl's primary priority right now is accepting it.