When former Dancing With the Stars pro Cheryl Burke received a text message from her estranged sister, Ina Burke, back in 2005, she ignored the message. The 34-year-old assumed Ina just saw dollars signs.
“I thought . . . right away, ‘Oh, she wants me to pay,’” Cheryl revealed during a joint appearance with Ina on Good Morning America on Tuesday, July 24. “She wants money.”
The ABC star now admits she was wrong about Ina’s intentions. “I judged her too quickly,” Cheryl told GMA. “I don’t think my heart was ready.”
But Cheryl responded when Ina reached out after the death of their father, Stephen Burke, in March 2018. And after 30 years, the women reunited. Though Cheryl was anxious about coming face-to-face with Ina, as soon as she saw her they embraced and “all the nerves” seemed to disappear.
“I’ve taken Ina in. Like she’s my sister,” Cheryl said on Tuesday. “I talk to her as much as my other sisters now. You know, it’s a constant conversation, communication.”
Cheryl, who is engaged to actor Matthew Lawrence, noted that Ina will be flying in from Seattle for her upcoming engagement party.
“Every single day, we, like, figure it out,” Cheryl gushed. “We’re like, OK. Wait a second. You do that too? Wait, you like Cheez-Its? I love Cheez-Its!’”
Both are committed to making up for lost time. As Ina told GMA: “She’s forever my sister.” And for Cheryl it’s a way to honor their late father. “I really want to bond with Ina,” she shared, explaining that it’s a way “to remember” her dad.
