Matthew Lawrence Reflects on Public Divorce From Cheryl Burke and Life After the Split

Nearly three years after his divorce from Cheryl Burke, actor Matthew Lawrence is opening up about what it’s like to have a deeply personal breakup play out in public.

In a rare interview with DailyMail, Lawrence explained that one of the hardest parts of working in entertainment is the lack of privacy. He said that when you choose a public career, your private life often becomes public too — something he doesn’t think is enjoyable for anyone.

Lawrence added that it can be especially difficult when you don’t control the story being told, or when parts of that story aren’t true. In those moments, he said, the only option is to keep living your life, trust the people who know you, and develop thick skin.

Lawrence and Burke met through Dancing With the Stars, when Lawrence’s brother Joey Lawrence competed on the show in season three. The couple married in 2019 and separated three years later.

While Lawrence has largely stayed quiet about the divorce, Burke has spoken openly about her experience. During a 2024 appearance on Amy & T.J., she said the marriage taught her important lessons, including the reality that financial success doesn’t guarantee a healthy relationship. Burke explained that being the main earner felt empowering at first, but it didn’t necessarily strengthen the marriage.

Later, on I Do, Part Two in October 2025, Burke shared that she was still grieving the end of the relationship. She said the divorce happened during the same year she left Dancing With the Stars after 26 seasons and moved out of the home she had lived in for 16 years. Facing all three changes at once, she said, was overwhelming.

Since the split, Lawrence has moved on romantically. He began dating TLC singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas in January 2023. The couple now co-hosts Hallmark+’s unscripted series Second Chance Love, which follows former couples as they reconnect in Sardinia, Italy.

However, Lawrence made it clear that the show is not about his relationship with Chilli. He said the appeal of the series was its focus on other people and the idea of exploring unresolved connections from the past. According to Lawrence, both he and Chilli were firm that they did not want to turn their own relationship into a reality storyline.

For Lawrence, keeping parts of his personal life private now seems to be a conscious choice — one shaped by experience, reflection, and lessons learned under the public spotlight.