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Cheryl Burke Celebrates 4 Years of Sobriety Amid Divorce From Matthew Lawrence: I ‘Choose Me Instead’

Cheryl Burke Celebrates 4 Years of Sobriety Amid Divorce From Matthew Lawrence 2
Cheryl Burke Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock

A major milestone. Cheryl Burke celebrated four years of sobriety amid her headline-grabbing split from husband Matthew Lawrence.

Related: Everything We Know About Cheryl Burke and Matthew Lawrence’s Divorce

“Realizing I just celebrated 4 years of my sobriety 🙏🏼,” the Dancing With the Stars pro, 38, announced in a TikTok video shared on Sunday, August 14, which she captioned with several celebratory emojis. Burke’s post included several hashtags, from “#soberlife” to “#onedayatatime” and “#choosemeinstead.”

The ballroom dancer has been open about the many highs and lows she’s experienced since she decided to quit drinking. “Last week, I said I wasn’t OK. This week, I’m still pissed but I know that this whole issue that we’re going through right now is going to be a long process,” Burke confessed during an episode of her “Burke In the Game” podcast earlier this month. “And I just can’t let it ruin my life because it is what it is, and right now, it’s out of my control. So right now I’m trying to practice what I preach and I’m trying to just take it day by day, hour by hour.”

She continued: “Speaking of, I don’t wanna say that I’ve been feeling like drinking again lately. But it’s definitely been on my mind a lot more than normal.”

Related: Everything Cheryl Burke Has Said About Her Sobriety Journey: ‘I’m Walking on a Really Tight Rope’

However, after speaking with her therapist, Burke realized that she hasn’t been active enough in her recovery program. Though she admitted that she was still struggling with her steps, she acknowledged that she had gotten better at removing herself from situations that might be harmful to her sobriety. “I noticed that after dinner, that people want to go out afterwards,” the Dance Moms alum explained. “I think I’m best just to drop people off as the designated driver and go on my merry way. Because I am triggered by people who have more than maybe a couple drinks around me, especially late at night.”

Cheryl Burke Celebrates 4 Years of Sobriety Amid Divorce From Matthew Lawrence 3
Matthew Lawrence and Cheryl Burke Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

Burke’s sobriety milestone comes eight months after she filed for divorce from Lawrence, 42, after nearly three years of marriage. According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly in February, the TV personality listed “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split.

“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,” she wrote via Instagram later that month. “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.”

The choreographer revealed during a July episode of “Burke in the Game” that she was only just beginning to feel like she was ready to consider dating again after focusing on herself and processing her emotions in the wake of the split. “It doesn’t necessarily mean, though, that I’m ready to get on Raya or any of these dating apps just yet. I definitely want to start, maybe, meeting new people,” she explained at the time. “Obviously, that means I’ll have to start getting out of my comfort zone and out of this house in order to do so. It is something of curiosity.”

Burke continued: “I am open to definitely starting to date, slowly but surely. However, I’m not so sure yet about these dating apps, but I think that might be the only way because I have left my house a few times and it’s not that easy to meet people, right? So, we’ll see what happens.”

Related: Everything Cheryl Burke Has Said About Dating and Love After Matthew Lawrence Split

Lawrence, for his part, was spotted spending time with TLC’s Chilli during a trip to Hawaii earlier this month. Though their outing sparked romance rumors, a rep for the singer (whose real name is Rozonda Thomas) told Us that the pair are “just friends” and enjoyed a causal hangout. “TLC had a show in Hawaii and has been touring most of the summer. There was a group that went to the beach,” the rep noted in a statement. “Chilli simply wanted to get some sun after being on planes and tour buses for the last few weeks. TLC had a few more stateside shows before heading to Australia.”

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