Matthew Lawrence, Cheryl Burke. Shutterstock (2)
Reflecting on his past. Matthew Lawrence discussed the important lesson he learned from his relationships — and seemingly offered a glimpse at what caused his split from Cheryl Burke.
“I found out that that was the reason why I was getting so off course when it comes to relationships. I wound up getting involved with people that I was trying to please and make happy,” Lawrence, 43, explained in an episode of his “Brotherly Love” podcast on Friday, March 3.
During a candid conversation with brothers Joey Lawrence and Andrew Lawrence, Matthew broke down the issues in his personal life.
“It really didn’t come down to, ‘Was this a good union? Are we making each other happy? Is there trust and bonds and are there good things here?’ I was just like, ‘If I am going to do anything right, I am going to make sure this person is so darn happy with me,’” he recalled. “It never works.”
The Boy Meets World alum noted that he couldn’t “make somebody else happy” on his own.
“Love is amazing but love doesn’t do it on its own,” he continued. “You can love someone to death, and you can be in a toxic relationship and it can spiral out of control and ruin both your lives. What works? Trust and respect.”
Matthew, whose divorce from Burke, 38, was finalized in September 2022, has recently opened up about their relationship after previously choosing to remain tight-lipped. The former couple dated on and off for several years before tying the knot in 2019. Following nearly three years of marriage, the actor and the dancer called it quits in January 2022.
At the time, the former Dancing With the Stars pro addressed the obstacles she has faced since the breakup. “If I’m being honest, really feeling my feelings is new to me,” she wrote via Instagram in March 2022, noting she felt emotionally “numb” most of her life. “There’s the obvious reason it’s hard — that the emotions I’m experiencing right now are complicated and aren’t exactly happy.”
She continued: “But the less obvious reason is that I’m realizing I have a tendency to judge my own feelings and if I’m with other people, that magnifies. I get so focused on other people’s perception of how I’m dealing with my emotions — which then in turn leads me to question if I am feeling things the ‘right way.’”
Two months later, the California native discussed how she was working on herself before getting back into dating.
“I need to believe and love myself enough to really know that I deserve a good guy,” she exclusively told Us Weekly in May 2022. “This is just untraining my brain. I need to not be like, ‘Why do I attract certain men?’ Versus, like, ‘Why do certain men disgust me?’ It’s being proactive in trying to stay present and conscious and know my self-worth. And a lot of that is still in the works.”
Matthew, for his part, made his relationship with TLC’s Chilli public earlier this year. After the pair posted a video together on New Year’s Eve, a source revealed to Us that they were excited for their future together.
“They didn’t intend for things to move as quickly, it was a go-with-the-flow situation but right away, they just clicked and wanted to be together as often as possible,” the insider shared in January. “They’re both very optimistic and excited though, it’s an incredibly happy time for them right now.”
According to the Mrs. Doubtfire star, he is currently “trying” to expand his family with his girlfriend, 52.
“That’s the game plan,” he told Entertainment Tonight during an interview on Friday. “My life is in complete bloom right now. I get to spend time with an amazing woman like Chilli. I’ve never gotten to be able to experience that kind of relationship before. She’s really, really special.”
Sign up for Us Weekly’s free, daily newsletter and never miss breaking news or exclusive stories about your favorite celebrities, TV shows and more!
Matthew also revealed how ending his marriage affected his life, adding, “It tested me and I learned so much about myself, and I’m so thankful and blessed for the opportunity to grow and that’s what came out of it.”