Cheryl Burke strikes back after Dancing with the Stars' Alix Earle's stepmom makes controversial Ozempic comment

Dancing with the Stars fame Cheryl Burke finally addressed body-shaming comments after Alix Earle’s stepmother, Ashley Dupre, took a dig at her, saying she should take “more Ozempic.”

In an Instagram video posted on Thursday, October 30, 2025, Cheryl spoke about fans’ criticism of her scoring when she returned to the ballroom for Halloween Night as a guest judge. 

The pro explained that while she was open to hearing constructive criticism from viewers of the show, she was not okay with comments aimed at her body or her appearance. 

“I know that I did the best that I could with the information that I had and with what I saw in real time, and for the people who think body shaming is okay, especially in front of your children, that sends a powerful message about what you value,” she said.

On October 28, Alix’s stepmother, Ashley, shared a TikTok in which she criticized Cheryl’s low scores and asked her to “go take more Ozempic.”

In the clip, Ashley’s children could be heard asking, ‘Go take more Ozemppic?’ to which she replied that Cheryl looked “weird.”

Cheryl took note of the comment, and although she did not directly mention her name, she criticized all body-shamers in the October 30 Instagram video. 

Dancing with the Stars pro Cheryl Burke defends the score she gave to Alix Earle, saying she was only doing her job

Cheryl Burke cleared the air about her scoring system and explained that her judgment was based on personal experience, which she gained by being part of the industry for decades. 

She added that her criticism was directed at contestants so they could take the advice and improve themselves moving forward. 

“My comments didn’t just come out of nowhere. It came from personal experience. It came from being on this show for 26 seasons, and it also came from all the years of being trained, being coached myself,” she said.

The Dancing with the Stars alum stated that she was open to the “mixed reviews,” but was not on board with the “aggressive ones” or the “body shaming ones.”

The body-shaming remark was a direct reference to Alix’s stepmother’s harsh Ozempic comment.

In the Instagram video, Cheryl added that she appreciated the feedback, whether it was “amazing and beautiful messages” or constructive criticism. 

But she especially did not appreciate Alix’s mother’s comment on her appearance.

The Dancing with the Stars alum noted that it was not kind to share such a message on social media. That said, she defended her score for Alix during Halloween Night, saying:

“I was simply again, doing my job as a judge, giving feedback based on almost 20 years of my life, and if my score was different from the other judges, it was by one point.”

Alix and her pro dance partner danced to Billie Eilish’s Bury a Friend on the show’s Halloween Night earlier this week. 

Panelists Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough each gave Alix a perfect score. However, Cheryl scored her a nine. 

As a result, Alix’s stepmother took to TikTok and made the Ozempic comment. 

Cheryl urged viewers and fans of the show to be mindful of their comments.

She said that she did not expect everyone to agree with her critique. However, she wanted them to beware of the “influence” words might have “on the next generation watching you.”

“If that’s the example you want to set, then please, I beg of you to leave my name out of it,” she added.

In an August interview with Us Weekly, Cheryl opened up about her weight loss, dismissing claims that she had taken Ozempic. 

She stated that she fainted “at the sight of needles,” and clarified that she only changed her eating habits to get the results she did. 

Stay tuned for more updates.