Skip to main content

Reba McEntire and her boyfriend Rex Linn made their red carpet debut at the CMA Awards on Wednesday evening. The country singer and her actor beau smiled for the cameras before McEntire took the stage to host the Nov. 11 event, which was held at the Music City Center in Nashville. 

Reba McEntire confirmed her relationship with Rex Linn in October 2020 

Rex Linn and Reba McEntire
Rex Linn and Reba McEntire | John Shearer/Getty Images for CMA

The 65-year-old McEntire confirmed that she’d found new love with Linn during the Oct. 5 episode of her new podcast, Living & Learning with Reba McEntire. Rumors of a romance between the two began in January, when Linn shared a photo on Instagram of himself and the Reba star having dinner together.  

“I am [dating someone],” McEntire said. “A very, very sweetheart of a guy, Rex Linn.” McEntire was previously married to rodeo star Charlie Battles and musician Narvel Blackstock

Though the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic threw a wrench into McEntire and Linn’s budding relationship, they managed to make it work. She said they used calls, texts, and FaceTime to stay in touch even when they couldn’t be together. 

“That’s a really good way to get to know people,” McEntire said. 

“It’s good to have a person to talk to, laugh with, get into subjects about what’s going on, discussions about our past, our family, funny stories, him being an actor, me being an actress,” she added. “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, very smart and is interested in me, too.”

Rex Linn traded a career in banking for Hollywood

Rex Linn
Rex Linn | Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

Linn, 63, is a former banker who turned to acting in the mid-1980s after the business he worked for collapsed, according to a 1988 profile in The Oklahoman

“I used to sneak out of the bank in the afternoon and go to the movie theater. I was glad to be a banker, but I knew it was not what I was going to do the rest of my life,” he told the newspaper. 

“I decided I finally had a chance to try something different, and I knew if I didn’t go after acting now, I would never have another chance,” Linn shared, adding that he “didn’t want to be an 80-year-old man with regrets.”

Rex Linn has appeared on ‘CSI: Miami,’ ‘Better Call Saul,’ and ‘Young Sheldon’

Related

‘The Voice’: Why Reba McEntire Turned Down Blake Shelton’s Spot on the Show

Since giving up a career in finance to chase his acting dream, Linn has appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows. He may be best known for his role on CSI: Miami, where he played Detective Frank Tripp for 10 seasons.

More recently, Linn has had a recurring role in Better Call Saul. He plays Kevin Wachtell, the head of Mesa Verde Bank. On Young Sheldon, he plays Principal Peterson. He’s also appeared in movies such as Appaloosa, Rush Hour, and Tin Cup.  

Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook!