Reba McEntire Says Spending Five Months Away From Rex Linn Helped Create An “Inseparable” Bond

Four years ago, quarantines created too much distance for many couples to bear. But for Reba McEntire and Rex Linn, it was exactly what they needed to forge an unbreakable emotional bond.

Reba and Rex first met in 1991 when they filmed The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw. The country music singer was newly married to Narvel Blackstock at the time, so the two parted once the movie wrapped up. They finally came back together in January 2020, when Reba guest-starred alongside Rex in Young Sheldon. That time, sparks flew.

Unfortunately, the pandemic stopped the world just as the two realized there were romantic feelings. So it was five months before they were able to see each other again, which gave them a chance to get to know each other on a much deeper level.

“We didn’t get to see each other from January till June 16,” Reba told E! News. “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. It was very special. It was a great way to find out about each other without ever touching.” 

Reba McEntire believes the old-fashioned courting set up a solid foundation for her ongoing romance. And once she was finally able to reunite with Rex, they became “pretty much inseparable.”

“You know the ins and outs of their personality and their faults… You love them for the way they are, instead of it being a total attraction and sizing them up because of appearance,” she explained to E!.

Reba McEntire believes she will spend the rest of her days by Rex Linn’s side. However, she doesn’t know if they’ll head to the alter. During an interview with Andy Cohen, she hinted that she doesn’t need to be a bride to be committed. But if Rex wants to get married, she will.

“I’ve been married twice, he’s never been married,” she said. “So if he wants to, that’s totally up to him.”

This story’s featured image is by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images.