‘DWTS’ Star Cheryl Burke Has No Qualms With Casting Adrian Peterson Despite His Child Abuse Charges: “This Is Showbiz”

Former Dancing With The Stars dancer Cheryl Burke weighed in on Adrian Peterson’s controversial casting in Season 32 after former dancer Sharna Burgess said she’d “turn around and walk right out” if she was partnered up with him.

While Burke agreed with some of Burgess’s points, she ultimately told Variety, “This is showbiz.”

“When it comes to abuse, I do agree with Sharna. However, you sign up to be a part of the show. And honestly, as a pro dancer, whoever walks in through that door, you don’t turn around and walk out,” Burke said. “You’re signing up for this.”

She later added, “I respect her, of course. I come from abuse as a little girl. At the end of the day, I don’t promote it. But my job is, I’m an employee. You can’t just turn around and walk out and say I’m sorry. That’s not part of the contract. It’s a fine line.”

But Burke was not here for the backlash Peterson’s partner, dancer Britt Stewart, has been facing on social media since the Season 32 cast was announced.

“We have zero say of who we dance with. Honestly, for most of these pro dancers, they are counting their blessings that they are asked back,” Burke explained. “Think of most jobs in America. Most people don’t want to be there.”

Peterson was charged with felony child abuse in 2014 after he struck his son with a switch. The charge was later reduced to a misdemeanor for reckless assault, but Peterson has spoken about using a belt to “discipline” his son in later interviews. The former Viking player was also arrested in 2022 on suspicion of domestic violence, though those charges were dropped.

He got a one-year suspension from the NFL in November 2014, and was also put on two years probation in addition to a $4,000 fine and 80 hours of community service.

Burgess was one of the first people to call the series out for casting Peterson.

“There’s one person that I’d like to share that I’m really shocked is on there is Adrian Peterson, the football player…” she said on a recent episode of her podcast, Old-ish, per Fox News. “The man has been charged with child abuse of his four-year-old son in the way that he punishes him and that is just devastating for me.”

Burgess maintained that she wouldn’t “be able to stomach” being his partner on the show.

Dancing With The Stars Season 32 premieres Sept. 26 on ABC. Burke is now hosting Sex, Lives, And Spray Tans, a brand new podcast series about the years she spent working on Dancing With The Stars.