Cheryl Burke May Head to Trial Over Her Dog Though Divorce from Matthew Lawrence Is Finalized


Cheryl Burke and Matthew Lawrence

David Livingston/FilmMagic, Jim Smeal/Shutterstock

Cheryl Burke is not giving her dog Ysabella up without a fight.

Though her divorce from Matthew Lawrence has been finalized, custody of the dog they once shared has yet to be determined.

On her iHeart podcast, Burke in the Game, the 38-year-old Dancing with the Stars pro spoke candidly on Sunday’s episode about her divorce from Lawrence, 42.

After recalling that she learned her divorce had been finalized on the premiere night of DWTS, Burke said, “It’s still not over because we have to maybe go to trial — well, we are going to go to trial, unless [Lawrence] all of the sudden calls it off. That will happen in January. I’m still just really hurt by the whole situation.”

The two will continue to dispute over ownership of their dog, Ysabella.

RELATED: Cheryl Burke and Matthew Lawrence Finalize Divorce

“That’s my dog. Ysabella is my daughter; I’m a dog mom, and that’s it. I couldn’t even imagine my life — I mean, I could just cry right now. But I couldn’t imagine my life without her,” Burke said.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Burke’s attorney Scott Klopert says, “The firm does not comment on pending litigation.” An attorney for Lawrence could not immediately be reached by PEOPLE for comment.

During the episode, Burke also spoke about the love she sees between her current dance partner, Good Morning America weatherman Sam Champion, and his husband Rubem Robierb. “There’s so much love [between them], no expectations from either side. And I just want to be able to, hopefully one day, find someone like that as well,” she shared.

Cheryl Burke Instagram

Cheryl Burke Instagram

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She continued, “It has been such a short yet long journey. I have definitely been more awake during the season, meaning I am a lot more present I think than I’ve ever been. I am trying to just surrender to the good, bad, and ugly. It’s been really scary, but it’s been eye-opening, and I am now officially divorced.”

Story continues

In September, Burke and Lawrence reached an agreement to divide their two properties evenly, with each party keeping one of their two homes.

Matthew Lawrence and Cheryl Burke

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

RELATED: Cheryl Burke Reflects on DWTS’ Impact amid Tough Times: ‘Gives Me a Purpose in Life’

Documents obtained by PEOPLE on Sept. 14 also specified that no spousal support was requested by either party as the pair agreed to uphold their premarital agreement.

Burke filed for divorce from Lawrence in February, listing Jan. 7 as the official date of separation. The filing cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split.

Further conversation was necessary to decide if Burke or Lawrence will keep their dog Ysabella, according to the documents obtained by PEOPLE.

You can view the original article HERE.

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