As headlines continue to swirl surrounding Billy Ray Cyrus’ contentious divorce from singer-songwriter Firerose, a former professional dancer named Cheryl Burke is sharing a story about his time on Dancing With the Stars.

In a late June episode of her Sex, Lies and Spray Tans podcast, Burke alleges that Cyrus once “donkey kicked” a stage manager on the set of the show, after the stage manager repeatedly asked him to move to his mark so that the lighting director could light him properly.

It all went down during a dress rehearsal before the live show: During these times, Burke explains, the celebrity dancers and their professional partners would run through their routines “about two hours prior” to going live. The couples did their dances exactly as planned for the camera, though it was a more “R-Rated version” of what viewers see on their screens, Burke says, with castmates swearing and joking around in between dances.

However, Cyrus’ alleged actions were more “R-Rated” than anyone was expecting.

“Our stage manager tells Billy Ray, ‘Can you get on your mark so that the director can light you?’ And he’s been asking, like, three or four times at that time,” she recounts. “Billy Ray kicked our stage manager. Out of nowhere. Straight up donkey kicked him.”

“[The] stage manager was being so nice. I know him personally. But you know, don’t kick him. Don’t kick anyone,” she continues. “It turned into a hot mess. And his time was up after that.”

Cyrus and Burke both danced as part of Season 4 of the show, which pairs professional dancers with celebrity partners. Cyrus’ partner was dancer Karina Smirnoff, while Burke was paired with actor Ian Ziering.

Burke shared her story in light of Cyrus’ divorce news, and though she didn’t venture a comment on the saga unfolding between Cyrus and Firerose, she did say that, “clearly they’re not getting along. They should probably separate.”

Why Is Billy Ray Cyrus Getting Divorced From Firerose?

Cyrus filed for divorce from Firerose in May, citing irreconcilable differences and inappropriate marital conduct as the reason for the split.

He filed for a temporary restraining order in order to prevent Firerose from any unauthorized use of his credit cards or financial accounts.

Meanwhile, in mid-June, Firerose counter-filed, accusing Cyrus of “persistent” drug use and several forms of domestic abuse. The couple went on to trade abuse accusations, with Cyrus saying it was Firerose who was physically, verbally and emotionally abusive.
Cyrus has also claimed that Firerose misled him about her criminal history and her past marriage.
Personal documents and audio have been leaked on both sides, including a conversation between Cyrus and Firerose. In that expletive-laden clip, Cyrus appears to tell Firerose to “shut the f–k up” and called her a “f–king selfish b–ch,” while calling his daughter Miley Cyrus “the devil” and “a skank.”

Instagram

In a statement uploaded to his Instagram Stories, Cyrus appears to respond to the leaked audio; specifically, he answer to a part of that clip where he said he was at his “wit’s end” with his marriage.

“Hell yeah I was at my wit’s end. As every day went by, I started realizing something was wrong. And that’s before I knew she was a fraud. I just knew something wasn’t right,” he writes. “That’s before I knew she was David Hodges’ ex-wife. That’s before I knew her parents’ last name. I had no idea she was arrested for felony and residential burglary.”

“I saw before my own eyes, everything I thought I knew about her was a lie,” Cyrus continues. “She was trying to take over my career, my life and usurp the Cyrus name for her own gain. See you in court.”