Cheryl Burke has confronted scrutiny over her look all through her profession as a dancer — however she’s by no means been afraid to defend herself.
“I’m carried out being judged,” Burke solely informed Us Weekly in her August 2025 cowl story, noting that she had been bullied on-line for physique earlier than and after she misplaced weight.
The previous Dancing With the Stars professional confessed, “It’s all the time been this race for me to attempt to acquire others’ acceptance relatively than discover it inside myself.”
All through her profession, Burke stated the commentary on social media did get to her. “There have been days it obtained actually dangerous, and I did get depressed as a result of it’s now on a complete different stage of dehumanizing,” she shared, revealing, “It doesn’t have an effect on me as a lot because it did.”
Burke, who has been open about her struggles with physique dysmorphia, informed Us that she now not weighs herself, calling that mindset a part of the “downside.”
“At my heaviest, I used to be about 150,” she stated. “The final time I checked, I used to be 109. I really feel f***ing nice; my power is on one other stage. That 109 doesn’t matter, what issues is how I really feel.”
Scroll right down to see what Burke has stated about her ups and downs together with her physique over time:
‘DWTS’ Highlight
Burke opened up about having physique dysmorphia, a psychological well being situation that causes her to see herself otherwise than others do, and the way competing on DWTS solely heightened the difficulty.
“I’ve physique dysmorphia as a result of I’m a dancer,” she stated throughout July 2022 episode of the “HypchondriActor” podcast. “I imply, inform me one dancer that doesn’t.”
She famous, “After I have a look at myself within the mirror and somebody says, ‘Oh, you look superb,’ I see somebody who’s obese. And in my eyes and method of judging myself, not superb, it doesn’t matter what I appear like.”
Burke stated exterior of feeling obese throughout present fittings, the criticism from viewers, social media haters and even a few of her coworkers reduce deep. “It was, like, a giant deal, like, ‘Cheryl’s too fats for TV,’” the dancer recalled.
“After which I had a few my coworkers blasting my ass too. I’d get up to, like, [Los Angeles radio station] KTLA [saying], ‘Cheryl’s too fats.’”
She concluded, “The trauma of happening dwell tv shaking my ass in entrance of thousands and thousands of individuals will not be serving to” her psychological well being.
There isn’t any disgrace in Cheryl Burke‘s self-love recreation. The star, 41, lately sat down with Us to speak about her current weight reduction, coping with social media trolls, cosmetic surgery allegations and the state of her relationship life. Concerning that final one, it’s non-existent — and Burke is OK with that. “I have to […]
Change Is Regular
“I’ve been within the public eye since I used to be 20 years outdated. My physique has modified over the previous 20 years. My face has modified as a result of I’ve modified,” Burke informed her followers through TikTok in Could 2025. “I’ve skilled a lot trauma, divorce, sobriety, burn out and reinvention. That is not at all a pity celebration. I’ve healed, I’ve misplaced and I’ve grieved like anyone else. Possibly it exhibits, however I’m not sorry for it. Not one bit.”
Burke informed body-shamers that she was not on Ozempic and hadn’t gotten a forehead carry, regardless of rumors on the contrary. She emphasised she was carried out with “merciless” feedback on-line.
“I’m nonetheless therapeutic, nonetheless rising and nonetheless selecting to indicate up,” she concluded. “In case you are right here to take a position, examine to demand solutions that you’re not entitled to, then you aren’t welcome on this house that I’ve created.”
A Dancer’s Physique Struggles
“I do undergo from physique dysmorphia, and particularly as a dancer in entrance of mirrors continuously — since I used to be a bit of woman,” Burke informed Leisure Tonight in Could 2025. “Even earlier than my Dancing With the Stars profession, my weight has all the time been a difficulty. I believe what folks typically don’t perceive is it’s a number of work [and] it takes a number of work and it takes a number of self-care.”
She revealed, “I’ve to say, within the top of my insecurity and my physique dysmorphia had been weekly fittings on the present. I don’t blame the present by any means, nevertheless it’s simply the secret. We’re squeezing into these costumes, and it’s what it’s. It could have an effect on me to the purpose the place I’d weigh myself continuously [and] I’d journey with a scale.”
Going Z.E.N.
Burke solely informed Us in August 2025 that she went from 145 kilos right down to 109 kilos over the course of 5 – 6 years with the assistance of the Z.E.N. wholesome consuming plan. The plan delivers recent meals to her dwelling in California and takes out the guess work of weight-reduction plan, in keeping with the truth star.
“It’s created extra steadiness in my meals,” she stated. “I’ve realized that ravenous myself, then consuming one huge meal, doesn’t work for my physique. I used to be additionally not eager to eat in entrance of individuals — that was a set off for me. Being referred to as out for being obese, the very last thing you wish to do is shove meals in your mouth in entrance of individuals, particularly people who find themselves match and on the present with you.”
Us Weekly is celebrating the celebrities who’re altering the dialog in terms of physique requirements. “Physique picture and physique positivity have turn out to be main buzzwords and a part of the cultural dialog,” Lexie Kite, Ph.D. and coauthor of Extra Than a Physique: Your Physique Is an Instrument, Not an Decoration, tells Us within the newest challenge […]
Botox, Sure. Surgical procedure, No.
Burke took to Instagram in August 2025 to close down rumors about her alleged use of cosmetic surgery. “Let’s clear this up for the 1,000th time. Botox? Sure. Surgical procedure? No,” she wrote on the time. “Fillers? No. Scars? Nonexistent. Pores and skin bleaching? Nope.”
The skilled dancer additional defined the “thriller” behind her altering look, writing, “My pores and skin tone shift is simply what occurs if you swap tanning beds for SPF and let your pure half-Pinay, half-white self come by means of. That’s it. You possibly can age gracefully and nonetheless take pleasure in a bit of Botox. Cease complicated it with cosmetic surgery.”
The Fact About Ozempic
The ballroom dancer shut down rumors she took the weight-loss drug Ozempic, telling Us in August 2025, “No, I’ve not. There’s simply no method, I faint on the sight of needles.”
Burke added, “I’ve heard of unintended effects, folks not feeling nicely, sure issues that occur which might be too gross to share. I’m not keen to really feel like that. I modified my consuming habits. I ended consuming previous 7 p.m. and it modified my complete physique. It wasn’t a lot a couple of quantity on the size because it was about how I really feel.”
Did She Have an Consuming Dysfunction?
“I truly don’t know,” Burke informed Us in August 2025 when requested whether or not she has an consuming dysfunction. “I believe the dysfunction was my physique dysmorphia. I positively have physique dysmorphia.”
She continued, “After I look within the mirror, particularly throughout my fittings, let’s say for a dance costume, I’m not seeing what everybody else is. I’m seeing someone who more than likely is heavier. If I used to be in a gown exhibiting my again and I noticed a roll, it could spoil my day. I used to be an indignant individual once I didn’t really feel good.”
