Divorce, for most people, is a difficult process, especially when child or canine custody battles are involved. Former “Dancing With the Stars” pro Cheryl Burke knows this intimately. She’s been fighting with her ex, “Boy Meets World” alum Matthew Lawrence, for months over who gets to keep their dog. Now, that fight is over.
Cheryl Burke Awarded Full Custody of French Bulldog
On Monday, the 38-year-old celeb revealed on Instagram that she has been awarded full custody of Ysabella, her French Bulldog. She celebrated the news by posting a trio of pics of herself with the beloved fur baby enjoying a sunset together on the social media platform.
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“Officially a FULL TIME dog mom… 2023, we’re off to a great start!” she wrote.
A Long, Hard Road
Burke has been very vocal about how hurtful the custody battle over the pup has been. While discussing the situation on Entertainment Tonight in October, she became emotional, saying, “Oh, I’m gonna cry. It’s just really sad, you know?”
She continued: “It sucks because, for me, it’s just cruel. She’s my dog, and it was a gift from my ex, and I hope that this soon, you know, dies down, and he calls it off. Because you’re taking, like, my daughter away from me.”
Burke elaborated on the legal proceedings that same month on an episode of her “Burke in the Game” podcast.
“We are going to go to trial — unless he all of a sudden calls it off, but that would happen… and that will happen in January,” Burke said. “I’m just still really hurt by the whole situation. You know, that’s my dog. Ysabella is my daughter.”
She continued: “I’m a dog mom. And that’s it. I can’t even imagine my life. I mean, I could just cry right now but, like, couldn’t imagine my life without her.”
The pup has also been crucial in Burke’s recovery journey. In an October Instagram post, Burke thanked Ysabella for helping her stay sober.
“The belief in a power greater than myself consistently helps me to stay the course when things get hard, and I have to give credit to my dog, Ysabella, for keeping me going a lot of the time,” she wrote on Instagram. “Yep, I’m a full-blown ‘dog mom’ and not ashamed to say it!”
She continued: “Going through a public divorce, there have been days where I wanted to just stay in bed and hide, and the idea of numbing my emotions with a vodka soda can sound pretty appealing. But Ysabella has tons of energy and gets me outside to go for walks multiple times a day. She loves me to play with her, and I honestly can’t imagine life without her by my side 24/7.”
Now, she won’t have to.
