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Cheryl Burke Breaks Her Silence After Matthew Lawrence Split: ‘My Marriage Is Ending’

Cheryl Burke is breaking her silence following the news of her split from husband Matthew Lawrence after two years of marriage.

Related: Cheryl Burke and Matthew Lawrence’s Relationship Ups and Downs

“I know I have always said I’m an open book with you guys, I do strive to be, and in writing this I’ve realized there really isn’t an easy way to announce that my marriage is ending,” the ballroom pro, 37, wrote via Instagram on Thursday, February 24. “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.”

Burke and the Pennsylvania native, 42, tied the knot in May 2019 after getting engaged one year prior. The pair were just shy of their third wedding anniversary when Burke filed for divorce in Los Angeles on February 18.

According to documents obtained by Us Weekly at the time, the Dance Moms alum listed her date of separation from the actor as January 7 and the now-estranged couple have a prenup. Burke cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the duo’s spilt.

The California native and the former Boy Meets World star met when his brother Joey Lawrence competed on season 3 of DWTS in 2006. Burke and the Mrs. Doubtfire actor sparked a romance in February 2007 and dated for one year before calling it quits. They eventually reunited in 2017.

Related: Perfect Partners! A Guide to All the 'DWTS' Pros and Their Spouses

As she and Matthew approached the one-year mark on their marriage, Burke exclusively told Us that it was “so crazy” how much time had flown. “The stress that I was under [before the wedding], now it’s a different type of stress,” she said in April 2020. “But you know what? As long as we’re together, [everything’s OK].”

Cheryl Burke Breaks Her Silence After Matthew Lawrence Split
Cheryl Burke and Matthew Lawrence. Shutterstock (2)

For the choreographer, being a newlywed wasn’t as “challenging” as some might think. “For me, I feel a sense of ease and peace now that I’m married,” she told Us, while her then-husband joked that he was “so glad I’m not single in this world now.”

The I Can Do That alum reflected on how “great” it was to spend quality time with Matthew during the coronavirus pandemic, but she confessed that some aspects of the lockdown had “tested” them. When asked what makes a strong marriage, the twosome agreed that communication was the “key.”

The Girl Meets World actor explained, “When you stop that communication and when you don’t try every day is when things start to slowly fall apart. I think that’s really important.”

Related: Every 'Dancing With the Stars' Pro Through the Years: Where Are They Now?

Before their split, Burke had been candid about how her spouse had been a rock for her as she worked through her struggle with alcoholism. In September 2020, the ABC personality revealed that she was two years sober, and she gushed over Matthew’s support one month later.

“When you make a decision, a big decision, a life-altering decision, your friends will change,” she said on Good Morning America in October 2020. “And, you know, some people will support it. Some people won’t. And at the end of the day, you have to be OK with this.”

The following June, however, Burke admitted that she was having a hard time staying clean.

“I have a lot of personal stuff going on right now at the moment, and so it’s been very … I feel like I’m walking on a really tight rope at the moment,” she told cohost and former DWTS partner AJ McLean on their “Pretty Messed Up” podcast at the time. “Therapy’s not working right now.”

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