Matthew Lawrence’s Girlfriend History: From Cheryl Burke To TLC’s Chilli
Chilli doesn’t need to go chasing waterfalls anymore. Rozonda ‘Chilli’ Thomas is the latest lady to capture Matthew Lawrence’s heart, so look at all the stars he’s dated.
- Matthew Lawrence (b. Feb. 11, 1980) is best known for his roles in Boy Meets World, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Brotherly Love.
- Matthew was previously married to Dancing With The Stars professional dancer Cheryl Burke.
- In 2022, he began dating Rozonda Thomas, aka Chilli, from the R&B group TLC.
Matthew Lawrence’s resume boasts such ‘90s staples as Boy Meets World, Drexell’s Class, Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad, and Brotherly Love (in which he starred with his brothers, Joey Lawrence and Andy Lawrence.) So, it makes sense that his love life would also include some major stars from that decade. Even when the Nineties were over, Matthew found a way to incorporate them into his dating history. In 2022, Matthew – fresh off his split from Cheryl Burke – struck up a relationship with Rozonda Thomas, aka Chilli, from ‘90s R&B/rap group TLC. But, as the below shows, it’s not the first time Matthew has liaisons with ‘90s icons.
Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas
TLC – Rozonda “Chiili” Thomas, Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, and the late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez – were the soundtrack of the nineties with singles “Aint 2 Proud To Beg,” “Creeps,” “Waterfalls,” “No Scrubs,” and “Unpretty.”
In January 2023, a rep for Thomas (b. Feb. 27, 1971) confirmed that she and Matthew Lawrence had struck up a relationship right before Thanksgiving 2021. “I’ve been with Chilli since 2005, and I’ve never seen her this in love,” Christal Jordan, the singer’s publicist, told Billboard. “She is glowing. They are really cute together.”
Matthew and Chilli were first photographed together in August 2022, right as he was finishing up his split from his wife, Cheryl Burke. The two appeared on a beach in Hawaii, and while this raised some eyebrows, this vacation was reportedly platonic. However, all talk about being “just friends” went out the window on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31) when Thomas and Lawrence appeared together in an Instagram video, lip-syncing to a-ha’s “Take On Me.” The video filter recreated the song’s music video, and the caption read, “#newyearsshenanigans #onesiegang #wecute.”
Danielle Fishel
When Matthew and Chilli shared their a-ha video, Danielle Fishel commented, “This makes me very happy!!” The comment gained plenty of likes, considering her past with Matthew.
Before he and Chilli gave ‘90s fans the romance they didn’t know they wanted, Matthew had a fling with TGIF’s number one love, Topanga Lawrence, aka Danielle (b. May 5, 1981). During an August 2022 episode of Pod Meets World, the podcast that Fishel hosts with her Boy Meets World costars Rider Strong and Will Friedle, Danielle said that she had a crush on Rider, but nothing came of it.
“The only person on the show I ever had a romantic relationship with was Matthew Lawrence,” she explained, per Us Weekly, adding that she and Matthew kept the relationship on the down-low during filming. “We did not want it to be a big deal on set. [But] I went to his prom. Our moms were friends. It was cute.”
Cheryl Burke
Matthew’s most high-profile relationship has been with Cheryl Burke (b. May 3, 1984). The two first met in 2006 when Matthew’s brother, Joey, competed on Dancing With the Stars. The following year, they began dating, but the fling was short-lived. By 2008, they had called it quits, and it seemed like this was the end of this brief romance.
However, fast forward nine years, these two decided to give love another shot. Cheryl, at the time, was reportedly “really happy” to be back with Matthew. In 2019, after dating for two years, they tied the knot.
Sadly, there wasn’t a happy ending in the cards for them. In February 2022, she filed for divorce, citing “irreconcilable differences.” They didn’t have any children together, and paperwork obtained by HollywoodLife indicated that they had a prenuptial agreement in place.
Two days after filing, Cheryl broke her silence. “I know I have always said I’m an open book with you guys, I do strive to be, and in writing this I’ve realized there really isn’t an easy way to announce that my marriage is ending,” she posted to Instagram. “I hope you can understand that I will not be commenting any further at this time and am asking for understanding and privacy. Thank you all for all the kind words and support you’ve given me.”
In September 2022, Matthew and Cheryl finalized their divorce. In November 2022, she announced that she was leaving DWTS after 26 seasons as a pro.
Heidi Mueller
Heidi Mueller (b. Jan. 29, 1982) is best known for playing Kay Bennett on the supernatural daytime soap opera, Passions from 2003 until 2008. While she was involved in the show, she struck up a romance with Matthew. The couple dated between 2004 and 2006. After her relationship with Matthew ended, she began seeing now-retired NFL player DeMarco Murray. They married in 2015 and have two children together.