Rex Linn and Reba McEntire | Source: Getty Images
Reba McEntire Says She’s ‘Never Been Loved by a Man’ like Rex Linn Has
The country star gushed about her beau, who popped the big question last year after four years together. She confirmed their engagement this past September.
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Reba McEntire is enjoying life at 70 — and she has certainly earned it. The "Happy's Place" alum reflected on her life and how far she has come in a new cover story, set to hit stands this Friday, October 22.
Rex Linn and Reba McEntire attend the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on September 14, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images
"I think I'm happier now than I've ever been in my life," she told People. "It's amazing. It's wonderful being 70 and getting to do what I get to do at the level I want to do it." Beside her, McEntire has her now-fiancé, actor Rex Linn.
The couple first met in 1991 while filming the western drama, "The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw." They reconnected nearly two decades later, in 2020, while working on "Young Shelden." The pair began dating soon after.
Reba McEntire and Wendie Malick return as June and Professor Hagemeyer on "Young Sheldon" in October 2021. | Source: Getty Images
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Linn proposed to the actress in December, though news of their engagement only broke last month. "It happened a few months ago and they are very happy," a source told People at the time.
Speaking to the outlet this month, McEntire couldn't help but gush about Linn. "I've never been loved by a man like Rex Linn. Rex is a very tender-hearted man, and I just love him with all my heart. He's a good guy. Real bashful though," she said.
The couple also co-stars on the NBC sitcom, "Happy's Place." In addition to their life at home, they have plenty of fun working together on set. "Wherever we go, that is our Happy's Place," McEntire said.
Rex Linn, Tokala Black Elk, Pablo Castelblanco, Reba McEntire, Belissa Escobedo, Melissa Peterman are pictured on the Universal Studios Lot during "NBCUniversal Backlot Summer Experience - NBC's Happy's Place" on Monday, August 4, 2025. | Source: Getty Images
"Getting to work with Rex, drive to work with Rex and do the show, the rehearsals, drive home, talk about it, rehearse together — that's what's really special for me," she added. "I've not had that before."
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McEntire was previously married twice to Charlie Battles between 1976 and 1987, and Narvel Blackstock from 1989 to 2015. During an April 2024 interview with E! Online, the singer said she was willing to walk down the aisle a third time if Linn wished.
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"If that's something he feels totally strong about, that's fine with me," she said. "He's never been married before. So, if he wants to experience that, I'm OK with that." Although she joked she didn't "have much faith in being bound by a piece of paper or ring," she is "truly committed to Rex."
She also shared that they have been "inseparable" since they crossed paths on "Young Sheldon." "It was just like a magnet," McEntire said of their reunion.
"We didn't get to see each other from January 'til June 16, but we created an intimacy by texting and talking over the telephone that we wouldn't have gotten if we'd have been together all of that time," she shared.
Rex Linn and Reba McEntire attend the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards at Omni Frisco Hotel at The Star on May 8, 2025, in Frisco, Texas. | Source: Getty Images
Moving forward with a loving partner and a thriving career, McEntire said she has learned to live in and embrace the present. "I used to think being content was a no-no, because if you're content, you're not going to strive to continue to do better," she reflected.
"That's not true because you always try to improve your health," she continued. "As I tell artists on The Voice, and anybody that ever asks me for advice, I'll say, 'Enjoy every minute.'"
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