Cheryl Burke Apologizes To Younger Self After Seeing 'Barbie'

It seems the new "Barbie" movie is a shortcut to getting in your feelings and Cheryl Burke knows a thing or two about it!

After experiencing one of the most tumultuous years of her life, including finalizing her divorce from her husband, Matthew Lawrence, and leaving "Dancing with the Stars" after nearly three decades, the professional dancer has reflected on her younger self. The occurrence came after she watched the live-action "Barbie," a seemingly innocent encounter that triggered a wave of emotions.

Burke was deep in her feelings after she enjoyed the almost two-hour film, which premiered on July 23, 2023. To express herself fully, she took to her Instagram feed to post a series of childhood images that came along with text overlays.

While the first slide showed her wearing a blue outfit with the words, "I want to take time to apologize to this girl," the second featured her in what appeared to be a flower girl ensemble with the text, "For making her believe she wasn't good enough."

Other slides included an apology for telling her younger self "there was something wrong with her," "dimming her light," "putting too much pressure on her," and making her feel scared of life and it's [sic] people."

A final shot showcased an adult Burke alongside the text, "I love you, Cheryl. You are worthy and capable of anything." Beneath the throwback shots, the Filipino American beauty began in the caption:

"After seeing @barbie, it took me inward and brought back memories of the young Cheryl who just wanted to enjoy her Barbies and feel free. As many of you know by now, I had some horrific things happen to me as a child. And that led young Cheryl down a path of fear and darkness. I'm sorry Cheryl for putting you through that."

She added that she had set aside additional time to "reconnect" with her inner child and enjoy "some quality time hanging out with that girl." Wrapping up, the "DWTS" encouraged her 732k followers, "Don't forget that inner child light is deep down within all of you. ✨❤️.”

As expected, the superstar's post sent waves of adoration through her fans, and the comment section quickly flooded with an outpouring of love, emojis, and heartfelt messages. One cybernaut penned, "Aw you're a beautiful person, inside and out. You did the best you could with what life gave you. And your healing is amazing to witness. Thank you for sharing your journey with us and blessings to you."

"❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ you are worthy of everything," a second person reaffirmed to Burke, as a third admonished, "You didn't do that to her they did, don't apologize. Look at how strong you have become." A fourth fan emphasized, "Young Cheryl was a beautiful child and current Cheryl is also beautiful, smart, and worthy."

Fans similarly rallied around the model when she announced that she was choosing to start her 39th year with "peace and love in my heart and ease" in May. She also informed them that she had gifted herself by indulging in quality time with Mother Nature, as the past year had been quite overwhelming for her.

Earlier this week, Burke had marked a milestone in her sobriety journey. Per The Blast, she had uploaded a picture of her bare face, highlighting her freckles, to celebrate her entrance into her sixth year of being alcohol-free. The photo was followed by a lengthy caption, which began:

"It's been 5 years since I started my recovery journey. As I enter my 6th year sober, I have found a newfound purpose that I hadn't thought ever existed. The interesting thing about sobriety is that it's not always a perpendicular path of progression & like most things in life it comes with rough patches."

She then shared how sobriety had profoundly impacted her life, bringing about "greater awareness" of her challenges and allowing her to see her loved ones, colleagues, and friends in their true essence.

As the message continued, Burke candidly expressed that she had decided to let go of any lingering resentment or anger towards others and herself as she moved forward in life. The "Smallville" uncredited star concluded:

"All in all, I now have a life and a relationship with myself that I didn't know was possible before. I attribute this transformation to God and my commitment to recovery. If you've ever considered embarking on this journey, I wholeheartedly encourage you to explore what it can do for you. Sending love to all of you. Thank you for being by my side throughout these last 5 years."