On the TLC special, Breaking the Silence, which aired on August 30, Cheryl Burke discussed the sexual abuse she faced when she was just five years old. The documentary focused upon five survivors of sexual assault.
Tune in tonight! #breakingthesilence #bethevoice pic.twitter.com/finfCrmEmn
— Cheryl Burke (@CherylBurke) August 30, 2015
“I still go through times when I’m down,” Cheryl said during Breaking the Silence. “I don’t feel like I’m that strong woman that people think I am today,” the 31-year-old TV star said.
Cheryl Burke, best known for her time spent as a pro dancer on 'Dancing With the Stars,' recalled the period of darkness which she faced in kindergarten, when a neighbor repeatedly assaulted her. Her revelations are heartbreaking but are just as inspiring as they demonstrate such strength in the face of adversity.
Cheryl Burke said her parents had divorced and her father moved away, so this man was tasked with watching her and took advantage.
“He would cuddle me, he would make me watch pornographic videos,” said Cheryl. “He was kind of like that fatherly figure– I think he knew my weakness, that I was very insecure. He knew that no one was ever around.”
Burke continued, "He would have me come sit next to him and make him feel comfortable because sometimes he would feel lonely."
The man was later caught trying to molest one Burke's friends. Cheryl Burke testified against him at just six years old, and he was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
"I'm only human," she said in the documentary, "and sometimes the stuff I've gone through, I think about all the time, and it just brings me back."
This isn't the first time Burke has spoken out about the past abuse. In 2011, she revealed that abuse, along with past physical altercations at the hands of former boyfriends, in her book, 'Dancing Lessons.'
"I'm telling my story," she told People at the time. "They're not secrets. There's no shame."
The Sunday special also featured the Duggar family after it was revealed earlier this year that Josh Duggar, a former star on the TLC Network, had inappropriately touched minor girls, including his sisters, years ago starting when he was 14.
Thank you for everything you do! You guys are an amazing organization. #survivor #breakthesilence https://t.co/2V9ixqDDWW — Cheryl Burke (@CherylBurke) August 31, 2015
