Cheryl Burke Shares Behind-the-Scenes Story of Dancing With Charlie Sheen on DWTS

Cheryl Burke Reveals She Danced With Charlie Sheen for 1 Day on ‘DWTS’

Cheryl Burke and Charlie Sheen. Getty Images (2)

Charlie Sheen was close to joining Dancing With the Stars after his time on Two and a Half Men.

In a recent episode of her podcast “Sex, Lies and Spray Tans,” former DWTS pro Cheryl Burke shared with Sheen's ex-wife Denise Richards about her unexpected connection with the actor.

“Fun fact: I danced with Charlie for one day,” Burke, 39, told a shocked Richards, 53.

Sheen, 58, and Richards were married from 2002 to 2006.

Burke continued, "Maybe you don't know, but he was going to do the show." It all began when Burke received a random call from Deena Katz, the casting director for Dancing With the Stars, during the show's break.

Burke shared, "She was like, ‘Look, we have someone who is a huge name and his team wants you to train him.’ I was a bit hesitant and asked, ‘Are you sure?’ I value honesty and didn't want to mislead anyone about the show's demands."

Essentially, Burke intended to be transparent about the level of dedication required to participate in the competition.

"It's gorgeous, but it's definitely a ton of work," she mentioned. "I can't deny that. There's a bunch of press, tons of interviews."

After learning it was Sheen, who had faced public battles with substance abuse, Burke secretly met him at the Dancing With the Stars rehearsal studio.

"I showed him a few dance moves," she mentioned. "I've been sober for nearly six years now and I felt a lot of empathy towards him. He appeared really chill. We had a blast together."

However, Sheen quickly became curious about the amount of effort required for the show.

Burke continued to share, "He started asking me questions. He wanted to know how many interviews we needed to do and if we had to attend press events. I replied, 'Yes, we do.'"

Aside from worrying about the media attention, Burke mentioned that Sheen also had some criticisms about his performance on the dance floor.

"He immediately doubted himself," she said to Richards. "He thought, 'I'm terrible at this.' I reassured him, saying, 'No, it's just the beginning.' I showed him some basic dance steps, but honestly, we ended up chatting more than dancing."

Even though Sheen's DWTS debut didn't go as planned, Burke believed he still had potential to be a "great contestant."

Richards, however, wasn’t so convinced.

“He doesn’t like to work out,” she joked. “There’s a lot of physical activity with dancing.”

Richards knows what she's talking about. She was on season 8 of Dancing With the Stars in 2005 with partner Maks Chmerkovskiy. They were the second couple eliminated.

Even though they didn't win the mirrorball trophy, Burke still looks back on her time with Sheen fondly — and with a chuckle.

“He was just really sweet and kind and humble,” she reminisced. “He was grateful. But I knew as soon as we were finished that it was probably going to be a hard ‘no.’”

Editor's P/S:

Cheryl Burke's encounter with Charlie Sheen during his potential participation in Dancing With the Stars reveals the complexities of navigating celebrity culture and the challenges faced by those struggling with addiction. Sheen's reluctance to commit to the show's demanding schedule highlights the disconnect between the glamorous facade of entertainment and the realities of maintaining sobriety.

Burke's empathy towards Sheen and her willingness to share her own experiences with recovery underscore the importance of support and understanding for those seeking recovery. While Sheen's self-doubt and criticism of his performance may have hindered his progress, Burke's belief in his potential suggests that even those facing significant challenges can find success with the right support system.