Cheryl Burke is sick and tired of all the social media chatter.
The Dancing With The Stars alum has been dealing with some extremely hurtful online rumors and fan gossip pretty much all year over on TikTok. Things got so bad back in May that she actually lashed out at fans who were speculating about the pro dancer’s supposedly “unrecognizable” face. At the time, theories flew around the internet that she’d either gotten plastic surgery or started taking the weight loss drug Ozempic. But now, Cheryl is moving on — while still denying both the plastic surgery accusations and the Ozempic speculation.
Related: Cheryl Opens Up About Why She Went Celibate After Matthew Lawrence Divorce!
In a chat with Us Weekly that was published on Wednesday, the 41-year-old star put her foot down:
“I am done being judged. It’s always been this race for me to try and gain others’ acceptance rather than find it within myself.”
Of course, Cheryl has been busy as hell and working in high demand as a beauty influencer and podcaster ever since she walked away from DWTS following a long run on ABC‘s mega-hit show.
But even though she’s no longer on one of the most popular television shows in America, the scrutiny hasn’t stopped. In fact, fans only ever seem to get MORE cruel and speculative over on TikTok. UGH!!!
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The Cruelty Is The Point
Referencing one of a series of videos going around trying to speculate on what might be going on with Cheryl’s altered appearance, the dancer said:
“There’s a very inappropriate video going around. People are making full-on TikTok videos that they’re editing together, scripting, using graphics, arrows, to point out my face, about the scars that they supposedly see.”
And regardless of what people think they see, what is really going on is… nothing!
Cheryl was adamant:
“I am not a liar. I’ve never gone under the knife to get anything done. There’s been no nips, tucks, Ozempic, nothing like that.”
She added how there is a particularly personal connection here considering her own mother is blind in one eye after a procedure went horribly wrong:
“I’ve seen horrible videos of plastic surgery gone wrong. Also, my mom is blind in one eye — she tried to get an extra fold in her eye — and that scared the crap out of me… For me, it’s just not an option.”
OMG.
And while Cheryl did say “to each their own” regarding whether other people should use weight loss drugs like Ozempic or Mounjaro, the dancing queen said that stuff isn’t for her. And there’s another specific reason why:
“It’s a personal thing… I’m not here to judge. There’s just no way, I faint at the sight of needles.”
Well, we totally get that part.
Lifestyle Changes Galore
Burke attributes her weight loss to a few simple lifestyle changes rather than any cosmetic procedures or medications. Those adjustments include not eating after 7:00 p.m., signing up for a food delivery program, and being a little “lenient” with herself every now and again:
“I’m not trying to lose weight anymore. I eat licorice… I have to have my matcha from Peet Coffee every morning, and if they have the warm pretzel bread, I’ll get it because it’s just the best thing in the world. I’m very lenient.”
In sum, those changes have brought her a 40-pound weight loss!
The dancer recalled weighing about 150 pounds at her heaviest, but now tips the scales under 110:
“The last time I checked, I was 109. I feel f**king great; my energy is on another level. That 109 doesn’t matter, what matters is how I feel.”
Wow!
Skin Skeptics, Too
BTW, it’s not just weight loss theories that are flying all over TikTok. People have also accused Burke of lightening her skin!
But the Asian dance pro is not doing that, she explained… she just simply isn’t using all those tanning products anymore which were commonplace during her long DWTS run. She said:
“Think about the mask I was wearing on the show, from head to toe. My skin color was 20 shades darker. That was just what I knew; that’s the competitive ballroom world. I’m learning and realizing who I am underneath all of the makeup, without the tanning beds, the spray tans, all of the extra stuff that I now call a mask. Maybe it’s a shock to some people when they see my actual skin color, and no, I’m not bleaching my skin. I’m very proud to be Asian. I feel like I’ve represented my community in a good light.”
Jeez. We can’t even imagine the sheer number of accusations flying her way. And especially considering how many people use TikTok — and how frequently and aggressively, no less. Awful!
Working Through It
Burke has pushed through with what she described to the outlet as years of therapy. But that doesn’t mean the comments don’t still hurt her — very deeply, in fact. She reflected:
“To say that the social media bullying has not affected me would be a lie. I’m human. There were days it got really bad, and I did get depressed because it’s now on a whole other level of dehumanizing. It doesn’t affect me as much as it did, and that has a lot to do with work I’ve been doing with my therapist of close to 15 years.”
Strangely, one of the most difficult TikTok fan videos for her to watch came from a purported astrologer. Because Cheryl said she herself believes in astrology, the critic’s clip cut particularly close to home:
“All she said were negative things, and that freaked me out because I’m a believer of astrology. When you start to mess with stuff I can’t control, then I’m freaking out. But my energy healer said, ‘We’re going to protect your energy.’ And I deleted [TikTok].”
Yikes!
But that last part is probably a smart move…
Bye Bye, TikTok
Now, it’s high time for the ballroom bombshell to disengage completely. She reflected on how she has cut out her social media scrolling and decided to wipe the noise out of her mind as best as she can:
“I’ve stopped scrolling, and I try not to read any comments, though it’s tempting… It’s ridiculous. When it first happened, a few months ago, it was shocking to my system because it was a video of me talking about my mental health, and then just people commenting on the way I look. You must be so reactive to have to say anything negative on somebody’s page. You’re tagging me and coming on my page to start this war… That says a lot about that person.”
But in the meantime, she’s still a podcaster and influencer! So she still wants and needs to use her social media platforms. But only for GOOD things!
The dancer, who has been sober for seven years, said she’s still as committed as ever to promoting positive mental health and sobriety online. And there’s a serious reason for that:
“I want to empower others and normalize mental health issues. Whether people think I overshare — again, none of my business. I believe I was given this platform because I can be open about my issues, like my sobriety. If I don’t voice it, if I don’t take accountability over how I feel, then the chances of me relapsing are quite high. I know I’m helping at least one other person feel like they’re not alone.”
Truly, making the most out of a difficult situation.
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For resources on mental health, visit https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help.
If you or someone you know is experiencing substance abuse, help is available. Consider checking out the resources SAMHSA provides at https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline or check out StartYourRecovery.org.
[Image via Cheryl Burke/Instagram/Instagram]
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