How Reba McEntire Fell for ‘the Love of Her Life’ Rex Linn ‘Without Being Physical’

Country music legend Reba McEntire has revealed she’s found the love of her life in Rex Linn. Her second divorce left her in the relationship market, and she said she found the partner she’d always hoped for in the Better Call Saul actor.

They’d been on friendly terms for a long time but reconnected when they worked together in 2020. After a hilarious first date, they wanted to get to know each other better. But the pandemic kept them apart, so they had to do it from a distance.

Despite being separated early on, McEntire said they are now closer than ever and explained why they make a “wonderful team” on and off the screen.

Reba McEntire and Rex Linn knew each other long before they started dating

McEntire and Linn first met on the set of a TV movie they made with Kenny Rogers, The Gambler Returns, in the early ’90s. But they remained connected over the decades.

Notably, McEntire was married to Narvel Blackstock until 2015. So, it wasn’t until McEntire and Linn worked together early in 2020 that they decided to get to know each other better.

“I shot an appearance on the TV show Young Sheldon, which he is on,” McEntire told People. “He said, ‘Let’s have dinner when you get through.’ And I said, ‘OK!'”

She added they “didn’t even know it was a date” but shared that he made her “laugh [her] butt off.”

Reba McEntire said she and Rex Linn ‘created a bond and an intimacy … without being physical’

Due to COVID-19 lockdowns, McEntire and Linn had to isolate and couldn’t continue dating in person. But they liked each other enough to improvise.

“He was in Los Angeles, and I was in Oklahoma because Mama had just died,” McEntire explained (per People). “We didn’t get to see each other from March to June, but we’d talk over Zoom and FaceTime four to five times each day.”

She shared, “We created a bond and an intimacy that was getting to know each other without being physical. We fell in love after being friends.”

During a 2021 episode of McEntire’s Living & Learning podcast, Linn recalled how he courted her by sending her food. “I would send you food from all over the country,” he reminded her. “Because I’m a foodie, and you’re a foodie.”

According to McEntire, she and Linn are “pretty much inseparable” now. “He’s the love of my life,” she told People. “We’re a wonderful team.”

Reba McEntire and love of her life Rex Linn make a good pair on screen and off

ABC’s Big Sky recruited the couple to take on roles in the show’s third season. They play a husband and wife duo with dark secrets. Of course, this isn’t McEntire’s first time acting, but she found starring with Linn has some added benefits.

“We love working together because when we’re at home, we get to practice, rehearse, and he’s a rehearsal schedule freak,” Reba said (per Outsider). “He makes sure I know my lines before I ever go on stage.” 

Linn shared similar sentiments with The List about their upcoming Lifetime movie. “It was so much fun working on The Hammer, because it was a great advantage being in a relationship with the person that you’re rehearsing with. I’m a rehearse freak.”

“Reba is amazing because she can look at dialogue for 10 minutes, and she’s ready to rock. I have to study for hours,” he added. “I’m not kidding. I have to [constantly repeat]. She’s not that way.”

The Hammer is scheduled for release in 2023.