Reba McEntire and Boyfriend Rex Linn’s Relationship Timeline

The pair stayed in touch after meeting in the ’90s and went to dinner in January 2020. Two months later, they got closer after the loss of McEntire’s mother. “[We’ve been] having discussions about our past, our [families], funny stories, him being an actor, me being an actress,” she later recalled on her “Living & Learning” podcast. “He’s very into my music, I’m very into his career — it’s just great getting to talk to somebody who I find very interesting, very funny and very smart, and is interested in me too.”
Courtesy Rex Linn/Instagram

The twosome took their romance to Instagram, revealing the CSI: Miami star calls her “Tater Tot,” while the singer calls him “Sugar Tot.”
Courtesy of Rex Linn/Instagram

McEntire paid homage to their respective “tater tot” and “sugar tot” nicknames while marking their fifth anniversary. “Celebrating five years of tater tots this week! ❤️,” she wrote via Instagram, sharing a snap from a dinner date.
Courtesy of Reba McEntire/Instagram

The pair stayed in touch after meeting in the ’90s and went to dinner in January 2020. Two months later, they got closer after the loss of McEntire’s mother. “[We’ve been] having discussions about our past, our [families], funny stories, him being an actor, me being an actress,” she later recalled on her “Living & Learning” podcast. “He’s very into my music, I’m very into his career — it’s just great getting to talk to somebody who I find very interesting, very funny and very smart, and is interested in me too.”
Courtesy Rex Linn/Instagram

Reba McEntire and Rex Linn first crossed paths 30 years before they started dating.

McEntire met the actor while shooting 1991’s The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw but didn’t pursue a romance until January 2020.

“We’ve kept in contact with each other over the years, and we both know the same people, so it was just like good friends getting back together having dinner in January,” she explained on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen in November 2020. “And then we started texting and talking on the telephone, getting to know each other better during the quarantine.”

The singer was previously married to Charlie Battles from 1976 to 1987 and music manager Narvel Blackstock from 1989 to 2015. She shares son Shelby, born in 1990, with Blackstock.

The Reba alum made things red carpet official with Linn during fall 2020 and the pair have been showing off their love ever since.