Refusing to put up with internet trolls quietly, Cheryl Burke addresses her “new face” criticism.
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The Dancing with the Stars alum spoke about the online criticism in a TikTok video over the weekend. “Let’s just address the elephant in the comment section,” she said while removing her makeup. “I’m not on Ozempic. I’m not sick. I didn’t get a face transplant, and no, I wouldn’t get a brow lift.”
Burke then stated the level of projection in the comments is “wild,” noting that those who are discussing her looks online are treating her as if she is “not a person.” However, she admitted the “most disappointing part” is reading comments from people stating they miss the “old” version of her.
“Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Cheryl,” Burke continued. “Back in 2006, Dancing With The Stars season 2, when I was 21 years old, or three years ago, Cheryl, where I was going through a divorce. I hate to break it to you, but that Cheryl doesn’t exist anymore.”
Cheryl Burke Calls the Comments “Shocking and Hurtful”
Cheryl Burke continued to speak out about the comments by stating that the assumptions about her “new face” are “exhausting as hell.”
“The accusations are completely cruel,” Burke pointed out. “And the fact that so many of them are actually coming from women, that’s what is so shocking and hurtful to be honest.”
She further shared, “I have 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.”
Burke also pointed out that she has experienced numerous life experiences over the years. “Trauma, divorce, and this is by no means a pity party,” she said. “Soberity, burnout, reinvention… I’ve healed, I’ve lost, I’ve grieved like anybody else.”
The dancer also said the “pressure” to prove herself lately has “been challenging.”
“I’m still the same person who has advocated for mental health and body image for years,” she explained. “I just do it differently now than maybe you’re used to. I’m quieter, I have boundaries, and more discernment, and frankly, I don’t feel safe the way I used to.”
She went on to add, “If you’re here to speculate, compare, or demand answers that you’re just not entitled to, you’re not welcome in the space I have created. But if you’re here to evolve, unlearn, to support, welcome, we’re just getting started.”