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Matthew Lawrence Reflects on Divorce and Growth as Hallmark+ Series With Chilli Debuts

He describes learning to ignore outside narratives during the high-profile split.

Overview

  • In a Daily Mail interview published Jan. 1, Lawrence said he lacked control over public narratives about his marriage breakdown and had to "grow thick skin."
  • He called the divorce a period that "tested" him and said he feels "thankful" for the personal growth that followed.
  • Cheryl Burke has continued to speak about the split, saying in October 2025 she is still grieving and suggesting in 2024 that breadwinner dynamics may have strained the marriage.
  • Lawrence and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas are co-hosting Hallmark+'s Second Chance Love, which premiered Jan. 1 and follows five couples reconnecting in Sardinia, Italy.
  • Lawrence and Burke married in 2019; she filed for divorce in February 2022 and it was finalized in September 2022, and he later began dating Chilli.