Cheryl Burke Claps Back at Critics of Her Brows: “Sunken in Temples”
Cheryl Burke addressed the critics who commented on her appearance.
On Thursday, February 19, Burke, 41, took to Instagram to respond to online trolls who mocked her eyebrows.
“For those who keep asking, ‘Why do my eyebrows extend down to my cheeks?’ This is simply my face’s bone structure,” she explained in the reel. “I have sunken temples.”
The former Dancing With the Stars professional mentioned that she’s considered getting filler to address her “sunken” appearance.
“I understand that my temples are sunken, so it is what it is for now until I decide to go for it and get filler,” she continued, urging the haters to “back off.”
“In the meantime, focus on your own face,” she advised. Burke clarified that she isn’t drawing her eyebrows “down to [her] cheeks,” but that her bone structure creates a “shadow” effect around her temples.
Wrapping up the video, she stated, “Should we critique your face now?”
“Apparently I ‘draw my eyebrows down to my cheeks,’” Burke captioned the post. “No — my temples are naturally more hollow, and yes, I’m aware of it. Whether I opt for filler or not is a personal choice.” She added, “Let’s spend less time dissecting appearances and more time on meaningful accomplishments.”
This isn’t the first instance where Burke has responded to criticism. In October 2025, she reacted to negative comments after appearing as a guest judge on Dancing With the Stars.
At that time, she scored Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy a 9, while the season’s main judges, Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough, awarded her a 10. Earle’s stepmother, Ashley Dupré, later commented on Burke’s appearance via TikTok, suggesting she “take more Ozempic.”
Burke defended her critiques of Earle on social media. “My comments didn’t come out of thin air. They’re based on my personal experience, my 26 seasons on this show, and years of training and coaching, which have exposed me to various opinions,” she explained.
She continued, likely referring to Dupré’s remarks, “I know I did the best I could with the information available to me in real time, and it’s unacceptable for anyone to think body shaming is okay, especially in front of your children.” Burke added, “That sends a strong message about what you value.”
In Dupré’s TikTok, she was seen watching Earle perform with her children, Izabel, 13, Penelope, 10, and Thomas, 8. After Burke did not give Earle a perfect score, Dupré, 40, remarked, “Go take more Ozempic.”
Her children then asked her what she meant, to which Burke replied, “What? She looks weird. Doesn’t even look like her.”
Burke shared exclusively with Us Weekly that she hadn’t used the weight loss medication as of August 2025. “There’s just no way — I faint at the sight of needles,” she confessed to Us. “I’ve heard of side effects, and I’m not prepared to experience that.”
She clarified that her weight loss was achieved through changes in her “eating habits.”
