Cheryl Burke is thankful for her dog despite fighting with ex-husband Matthew Lawrence over who gets to keep him.
The 38-year-old Dancing with the Stars professional dancer wrote on Saturday that she “can’t imagine life without” her French bulldog Isabella. She thought about how the dog had helped her stay sober through the ups and downs of her three-year marriage.
“Faith in a power greater than myself constantly helps me stay the course when the going gets tough, and I have to give credit to my dog, Isabella, for keeping me going through a lot,” she wrote on Instagram. “Yes, I’m a real ‘dog mom’ and I’m not ashamed to say it!”
“Going through a very public divorce, there were days when I just wanted to stay in bed and hide, and the idea of numbing my emotions with vodka soda can sound pretty appealing. But Isabella has tons of energy and takes me outside for walks several times a day. She loves to play with her and I honestly can’t imagine life without her by my side 24/7,” Burke continued.
She said her journey to sobriety began the night of her engagement party in 2018, shortly after the death of her alcoholic father. After burying her father in Thailand, she “turned red and broke out in hives” every time she drank.
Cheryl Burke, who has been sober for four years, said her and Lawrence’s life has been full of ups and downs since they tied the knot in May 2019. “Although in the end I’m glad I got him sober, I’d be lying, if I acted like it was easy,” she wrote.
Burke filed for divorce from Lawrence in February, saying they couldn’t get along. Their marriage officially ended last month.
On a Burke In the Game podcast episode from earlier this month, the host said that if Lawrence doesn’t “cancel,” they could go to court in January over who gets to keep Isabella.
Burke didn’t want to cry when she told Entertainment Tonight about the situation during Disney+ Night on DWTS. It’s really sad, you know.’
“It sucks because to me it’s just cruel,” added Burke. “She’s my dog and she was a gift from my ex and I’m hoping that soon, you know, he dies and he cancels it. Because you are taking my daughter away from me.”
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