Why I chose three years of celibacy after Matthew Lawrence divorce

Cheryl Burke has been intentionally celibate since divorcing Matthew Lawrence. WireImage

Cheryl Burke has been celibate since splitting from Matthew Lawrence.

Choosing to stay single after their 2022 divorce has given the former “Dancing With the Stars” pro “a lot more self-love and self-respect and self-worth,” she told Us Weekly Thursday.

“I love that I’ve grown so much and that I’m doing it consciously and with an intention,” the dancer, 40, added, noting that people act like she’s “speaking a different language” when she discusses her decision.

The former “Dancing With the Stars” pro is abstaining “with an intention.” Cheryl Burke / Instagram
“I’ve grown so much,” she told Us Weekly. Getty Images

Whenever Burke questions her choice, she reminds herself she is following in a certain singer’s footsteps by abstaining.

“I am on that Mya train,” she said in reference to the 44-year-old Grammy winner who recently announced she has been celibate for seven years. “Go, Mya.”

Burke went on to tell the outlet that she doesn’t have plans to pursue love on dating apps in the future.

Burke has gained “a lot more self-love and self-respect and self-worth.” Getty Images
The choreographer publicized this decision last month. Cheryl Burke / Instagram

“It will happen when it happens,” she said. “When my energy shifts, then I know if it does happen, I’m ready. I’m not in a rush.”

The “Dance Moms” alum filed for divorce from Lawrence, 44, in February 2022 after nearly three years of marriage.

The actor has since moved on with Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas.

Celibacy has helped Burke “heal” but left her “lonely.” FilmMagic
She and Lawrence were married from 2019 to 2022. WireImage

The pair went public with their romance in late 2022, with Lawrence telling “Entertainment Tonight” the following year that having children together is part of their “game plan.”

At the time, Burke reacted by “wish[ing] him well” and sharing her hopes that he “really truly can” become a father on the “Most Dramatic Podcast Ever With Chris Harrison.”

The “Sex, Lies and Spray Tans” host first revealed her celibacy journey in an August TikTok, poking fun at people’s confused responses to this news.

The actor has since moved on. FilmMagic
Burke has publicly wished him and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas “well.” cherylburke/Instagram

She elaborated on how she was “choosing [herself] for the first time” by doing so in an Instagram video posted later that same month.

“I really believe that it has helped me heal,” Burke told her followers, admitting that the process can feel “lonely” at times.

The “I Can Do That” alum noted that “talking about anything uncomfortable truly helps take a little of the shame away.”

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