Reba McEntire and Rex Linn confirmed they are engaged after being referred to as "fiancés" during an interview on the red carpet at the 2025 Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night.
The couple, who have been publicly linked since 2020, smiled and nodded when an E! News reporter used the term, according to People and other outlets. McEntire, 70, and Linn, 68, star together on NBC's Happy’s Place and have long been seen together at industry events.
McEntire and Linn first met in the 1990s while working on the television movie The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw, but their relationship did not become romantic at that time. The two reconnected decades later through guest appearances on Young Sheldon and began communicating regularly in 2020. McEntire has said Linn reached out during a difficult period when her mother was ill, and the pair began seeing each other in June 2020.
"Starting in March of 2020, we just kept talking and visiting and finally got together, see each other in June," McEntire told Today in October 2021. She added that they have been "pretty much inseparable ever since." In interviews this year she said they "get along in every aspect" and that he is a "better cook" than she is. Linn has described their relationship as a deep friendship and said the pair want to "cross the finish line with each other in a relationship," according to local station WBIR.
McEntire was previously married to music manager Narvel Blackstock from 1989 until their divorce in 2015. She retained connections to his family during and after that marriage. In August, McEntire acknowledged the death of her former stepson, Brandon Blackstock, who died of melanoma on Aug. 7 at age 48. Brandon Blackstock, who was married to singer Kelly Clarkson for nearly seven years and had two children, was McEntire's stepson during her marriage to Narvel Blackstock. McEntire commented on an Instagram post by her son Shelby Blackstock, writing in part, "Very well said Shelby. Yes we will miss him so much," alongside heart emojis.
Representatives for McEntire and Linn did not immediately respond to requests for further comment. The couple has largely kept details of their private life out of public announcements, allowing moments like the Emmy Awards appearance to serve as confirmation of the next step in their relationship.
Both McEntire and Linn have long careers in entertainment. McEntire rose to prominence as a country music artist and has also worked in television and film. Linn is best known for character and supporting roles in film and television. Their professional paths have crossed on-screen several times in addition to their recent work together on Happy’s Place.
The pair's confirmation at the Emmy Awards marks the latest public milestone in a relationship that observers have followed since the couple reconnected in 2020 and began appearing together at events and in media interviews. No wedding date has been announced.