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Cheryl Burke Says She Was 'Out of Line' for 'Nasty' Comments About Former DWTS Partner Ian Ziering

 

Cheryl Burke is hoping to make amends with Ian Ziering – her former partner on Dancing with the Stars.

In 2016, Burke, 36, made several "nasty" comments about Ziering, 57, calling him her "least favorite" pairing and that working with him in 2007 "made me want to slit my wrists." At the time, she apologized for her word choice, but not directly to the Beverly Hills 90210 actor.

On Sunday's episode of the dancer's Pretty Messed Up podcast, Burke said she regrets saying the comments to this day and apologized to Ziering in the hopes of reconciliation.

"The one thing I truly regret and want to make amends with is Ian Ziering," she told her co-host AJ McLean shared. "I was completely out of line a few years ago, and I did a podcast where they were asking me who my favorite partner was and who did I hate the most. And I answered Ian Ziering, and I said something along the lines of 'I'd rather slit my wrists than dance with Ian Ziering again.' "

 

RELATED: Cheryl Burke Apologizes for Claiming DWTS Partner Ian Ziering 'Made Me Want to Slit My Wrists'

Burke continued, "I truly am so sorry for being so inconsiderate and just talking trying to get a reaction and putting him as my punching bag really."

"I took it to that next level of nastiness. I was so nasty," the DWTS pro admitted. "And I'm here to publicly apologize to Ian and his family."

Burke added, "I lost a lot of respect for myself. It haunts me till this day."

It's unclear if the DWTS pro reached out to Ziering directly.

Ziering's rep did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

RELATED: Ian Ziering Speaks Out After Jessica Alba Says She Couldn't Make Eye Contact with 90210 Cast

At the time of her initial comments, Burke had an appearance on the podcast Allegedly with Theo Von and Matthew Cole Weiss and told the hosts she hated working with Ziering so much that she asked producers if they would kick her off the show.

"I was like, 'Hey execs' – I was like crying to the executives – 'Is there any way to force us, to just like eliminate us?' " she said on Allegedly.

 

The pairing finished in fourth place.

Burke also said on the podcast, "The fact that his name's not [pronounced] 'EEE-an' and it's 'EYE-an' makes me want to throw up."

Regarding her comment that Ziering "made me want to slit my wrists," Burke apologized on Twitter for "seemingly makes light of suicide."

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"I've always lived by the rule that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all," she tweeted. "Recently and regrettably, I broke that rule. In the heat of an interview conversation, I used a phrase that seemingly makes light of suicide and I deeply regret it."

Burke continued, "I have many friends and family members that struggle with depression and thoughts of suicide. To have said something that seemingly makes a mockery of what they've gone through and what they live with is something that I apologize for. I never meant to hurt anyone or to trivialize the topic. I was out of line and for that I apologize."

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.