Celebrity Celebrity Relationships Celebrity Breakups Matthew Lawrence Breaks Silence on Divorce from Cheryl Burke as His 'Life Is in Bloom' Matthew Lawrence and Cheryl Burke finalized their divorce in 2022, then resolved a pet custody lawsuit in January By Kelly Wynne Kelly Wynne Kelly Wynne has been a TV writer at PEOPLE digital since 2021. Her work has been seen in Newsweek, where she acted as a reality TV and true-crime writer, Atwood Magazine and her mental health blog, The Chronically. People Editorial Guidelines Published on March 6, 2023 02:40PM EST Matthew Lawrence is opening up about his divorce from Cheryl Burke. The Boy Meets World alum spoke on his split from the Dancing with the Stars alum for the first time, admitting, "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," he told Entertainment Tonight. Lawrence, 43, added on his Brotherly Love podcast: "I ended up getting involved with people that I was trying to please. It never frickin' works." Cheryl Burke Says She's 'Not in a Rush' to Date Again After Matthew Lawrence Divorce Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Lawrence and Burke, 38, tied the knot in 2019 and finalized their divorce in 2022. The pro dancer has been vocal about life after the split while Lawrence remained tight-lipped. "This is really opening up my life, which I feel like comes natural, but I also have to be okay to open up my heart," she told PEOPLE after the split. "This is a really trying time for me right now in my life, and I think naturally what I tend to do is I tend to build a wall. And I am not attainable in that sense, but I think this is part of my work, is to let that guard down regardless of feelings and being able to be okay with that." Cheryl Burke Wins Custody of Dog in Matthew Lawrence Divorce: '2023, We're Off to a Great Start!' Cheryl Burke; Matthew Lawrence. David Livingston/FilmMagic, Jim Smeal/Shutterstock Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The pair were also intended to head to trial over their shared dog, Ysabella. Burke officially won custody of the pooch in January. Though Burke appears to be single, Lawrence has moved on. He's been linked to TLC's Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas since January. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty "Life is always a surprise," Lawrence told ET of his relationship with the musician. "My life is in a 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, so it's quite special. She's a really, really special human being. I wish more people on the planet were like her. We'd be much better off."