The Truth About Cheryl Burke And Matthew Lawrence's Relationship

Technically speaking, Dancing With the Stars is a reality TV competition series, but it can also be considered a dating show, at least for some people. Nikki Bella is engaged to her former dance partner, Artem Chigvintsev, while professional dancers, Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd, are married. Then there's Cheryl Burke and Matthew Lawrence. They didn't meet on the DWTS set, but they do have the show, and their siblings, to thank for bringing them together. According to People, they met through Matthew's older brother Joey Lawrence, who was a contestant on Season 3 in 2006.

In February 2007, Joey and Cheryl went on tour with the cast, and that's where a romance blossomed between Matthew and Cheryl. Matthew told Yahoo Lifestyle, "I'll never forget it actually." He was sitting on the tour bus when he saw Cheryl walking in, appearing to be the shortest person in the group because she took her heels off. Matthew recalled, "I just saw this little head popping out from the crowd and I was like, 'Who is that?' I was captivated." The feeling was mutual, and Cheryl asked Joey to introduce them. "I just thought he was very handsome," Cheryl said.

The two started dating, but they split in February 2008. Burke said, "We broke up and we didn't even run into each other once, which is crazy because we used to live very close." They didn't speak for about nine years until Cheryl's sister persuaded her to reach out — here's what happened next.

In 2008, Cheryl Burke's rep told People, "I can confirm that Cheryl Burke and Matthew Lawrence quietly ended their relationship a few weeks ago." Eight years later, on Christmas 2016, Cheryl's sister told her to text Matthew "Merry Christmas," which she was hesitant to do. The DWTS pro told Yahoo Lifestyle, "My sister and my family used to love Matt. My sister basically took my phone and started the text message. I didn't think he was going to respond at all." The good news? The actor replied, and from there, they picked up where they left off. "Meeting again was like a fairy tale," Cheryl told Inside Weddings. 

"If I had any regret in life, it was the end of our relationship," Cheryl admitted to People in 2017. She explained, "When we first dated, we were both young and immature, and I was so new to this world." Cheryl says things changed when they got back together because they "are both adults and feel balanced." Cheryl continued, "It's so nice to be able to come home to him and turn Netflix on and order Postmates," predicting, "He's someone I definitely do see spending the rest of my life with." 

Matthew's brother, Joey Lawrence, gave his take on the reunion to E!, explaining, "They met when I was doing the show Dancing With the Stars and that spark happened and then as it does, it grows and grows and then maybe doesn't grow and then welts and then rekindles, which happens a lot."

Cheryl Burke got engaged to Matthew Lawrence in May 2018, and the two were married a year later. Cheryl gushed at the time about her husband, telling People, "Matt brings out the best in me."

Cut to September 2020, when Cheryl revealed during an appearance on the LadyGang podcast that she was two years sober. According to E!, Cheryl said she never participated in Alcoholics Anonymous, instead deciding to stop drinking at their engagement party, which took place two months after her dad passed away. The dancer divulged, "My father passed away — and then 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."

When she appeared on Good Morning America in October 2020, Cheryl said her husband is her "rock," declaring, "I don't know where I would be without him."   

When Cheryl Burke got engaged to Matthew Lawrence in May 2018, she told People, "I want to have kids, revealing, "[When we got back together] it was like, 'Let's not waste any time. Time's a tickin'!'" Then in April 2020, Cheryl and Matthew told Us Weekly that their baby plans were on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic. He said, "We're just waiting to see what happens because I think we were going to move, we were going to start that next journey, but everything's a little bit on pause right now." Cheryl added, "I think it's healthier. I don't know if being pregnant right now would be ideal for me."

Despite the delay, Cheryl remains steadfast in her desire for kids, saying that she has "always wanted to be a mom." She joked, "I feel like I am [a mom] to all of my dance partners on Dancing With the Stars. I just think that it's just natural for us to continue onto that next step in our lives." 

The duration of the pandemic is still up in the air, but it sounds like the couple will be ready to be parents whenever the time is right.