HEALTHCheryl Burke Has Chosen to Lose Weight in Order to 'Feel Good': 'It Takes a Lot of Work'
Cheryl Burke opened up about battling body dysmorphia amid rumors she's using Ozempic.
June 9 2025, Published 8:00 a.m. ET
Cheryl Burke set the record straight on her recent weight loss after fans speculated she used Ozempic. The Dancing With the Stars alum candidly discussed her lifelong struggles with body dysmorphia and how those challenges continue to impact her today.
"Even before my Dancing With the Stars career, my weight has always been an issue. I think what people sometimes don't understand is it is a lot of work [and] it takes a lot of work and it takes a lot of self-care," Burke, 41, told a news outlet on May 30.
Cheryl Burke told 'Entertainment Tonight' that her insecurity peaked during weekly 'DWTS' fittings.
"I have to say, in the height of my insecurity and my body dysmorphia were weekly fittings on the show. I don't blame the show by any means, but it's just the name of the game," she said.
Reflecting on squeezing into elaborate costumes, Burke confessed it led her to obsessively weigh herself and even travel with a scale. Despite her recent weight loss transformation, she describes herself as "very curvy," attributing it to her "bone structure."
"I think a lot of people may now take my weight loss as, 'She's not a good example.' … I have chosen to lose weight to work on myself to feel good, to actually love what I see in the mirror, but more importantly, to love me," Burke explained.
Cheryl Burke appealed to 'stop dissecting women's bodies' as rumors buzzed about her weight loss.
As Burke attended red carpet events this year, fans began to notice her slimmer figure, sparking rumors of plastic surgery or Ozempic use.
On May 18, Burke took to TikTok to vigorously deny these claims, declaring, "I'm not on Ozempic. I'm not sick. I didn't get 'a new face.'"
She emphasized, "Stop dissecting women's bodies like they belong to you. This is YOUR reminder: I don't owe you an explanation for my healing or for anything quite frankly. Let this be the last time I have to say it."
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Cheryl Burke denied getting plastic surgery or using Ozempic for her weight loss journey.
In her video, Burke reiterated her message, dismissing the idea she had undergone a brow lift. She criticized those who project their insecurities onto her and chastised the treatment she receives as if she were merely a "filter," rather than a real person.
"That's what is so shocking and hurtful, to be quite honest. I've been in the public eye since I was 21 years old. My body has changed over the past 20 years. My face has changed because I've changed. I've experienced so much trauma, divorce, and this is by no means a pity party," she said, touching on her divorce from ex-husband Matthew Lawrence while mentioning her journey through "sobriety, burnout, reinvention."
Cheryl Burke reflected on decades in the public eye.
"I've healed, I've lost, I've grieved like anybody else. And yeah, maybe it shows, but I'm not sorry for it, not one bit, not one bit," she continued. "Do you want to know what's really changed? My passion, my purpose, my commitment, my commitment to using this platform for something real. But what's been so challenging honestly lately is this pressure to prove that I haven't done something. To convince people that honestly that my healing is valid simply because it doesn't come with a before and after label they approve of. I'm still the same person who has advocated for mental health for many years and body image for years. I just do it differently now."
Cheryl Burke said she felt pressured to prove her healing was valid.
