Reba McEntire and Rex Linn’s Relationship Timeline, Explained

Reba McEntire has known her current beau, Rex Linn, for over 30 years. They met in 1991, but it wasn’t until 2020 that their relationship transitioned out of the friend zone. The country staple has been unlucky in the marriage department, having tied the knot with Charlie Battles from 1976 to 1987, and Narvel Blackstock from 1989 to 2015. Some may be closed off to the idea of marriage after two marriages didn’t last, but she says Linn has opened her heart once again. 

After years of on-and-off communication, they reconnected while the actress was mourning the death of her mother. Amid the 2020 quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic, McEntire and Linn began dating. They have been inseparable since. Here’s a look back at their time together.

Third time’s a charm

McEntire isn’t letting two failed marriages get in the way of her forever love. “If that’s something he feels totally strong about, that’s fine with me,” she exclusively told E! News. “He’s never been married before. So, if he wants to experience that, I’m OK with that.”

Reba McEntire reveals how she and Rex Linn began dating

The two became reacquainted again through work. “We’d gotten to see each other before because we’re both on Young Sheldon. So starting in March of 2020, we just kept talking and visiting and finally got together, see each other in June. And we’ve been pretty much inseparable ever since,” she said proudly. 

Taking things to the carpet

In November 2020, the duo made their red carpet debut at the Country Music Awards show. “We’re both excited that [Rex is] going to be there with me,” McEntire told PEOPLE ahead of the event.

It’s official

Nine months after Linn’s photo to Instagram, McEntire confirmed they were dating during an episode of her podcast Living & Learning. In the October 2020 episode, she described Linn as being “very interesting, very funny [and] very smart.”

Taking Instagram by storm

The couple had their first social media post together in January 2020. “Had a fantastic dinner with this Oklahoma girl. Tater Tots and Ketchup included,” Linn wrote in the caption. 

When work becomes personal

McEntire revealed during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen that she and her current love met while working on the Kenny Rogers movie The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw.

“We kept in contact over the years, we both know the same people,” she said. “So it was just like good friends getting back together and having dinner … then we started texting and talking on the telephone and getting to know each other better during the quarantine.”