"I hope that Nikki and Artem are protecting their heart, and I hope that, more importantly, their son is okay," Burke tells PEOPLE

Cheryl Burke weighs in on the "sad" situation going on with friend and former "Dancing With the Stars" pro Artem Chigvintsev and Nikki Garcia.

The former ‘Dancing With The Stars’ pro said she’s ‘built a lot more self-love and self-respect and self-worth’ since her marriage of three years ended

"Choosing celibacy allows me to heal from past relationship traumas," she wrote on Threads in August Cheryl Burke is an open book! The former Dancing with the Stars pro has been open about her celibacy journey since she first separated from Matthew Lawrence in early 2022.

Cheryl Burke says being celibate for three years has taught her "self-respect and self-worth" after years of being a "serial dater". The former 'Dancing with the Stars' professional's marriage to 'Mrs. Doubtfire' actor Matthew Lawrence, 44, ended three years ago, and since then she has embraced being single and is "proud" of her celibacy.