What You Don't Know About Reba McEntire's New Boyfriend

Country music icon Reba McEntire has found love once again. The legendary singer-songwriter is dating actor Rex Linn, as she revealed on her Living & Learning With Reba McEntire podcast (via The Boot). McEntire didn't confirm when the two first starting seeing each other, but it's been at least since early 2020, with her former Reba co-star Melissa Peterman joining them for dinner in late January. As McEntire recalled, "February on, it was the COVID pandemic, and we were talking, texting, FaceTime."

They have found common ground through shared interests and experiences, with Reba McEntire noting, "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. And he's very into my music; I'm very into his career." Peterman concurred, describing the couple as "real cute together." 

As The Boot advises, Rex Linn is originally from Texas, however, his family relocated to Oklahoma when he was a teenager, with the actor graduating from Oklahoma State University in 1980. He landed his first major role in the 1989 movie Night Game alongside Roy Scheider. Linn's career progressed significantly over the following years, with the Texan appearing in the likes of Wyatt Earp, Rush Hour, and JAG, before landing on CSI: Miami in 2002, where he remained for a decade.

More recently, Linn has enjoyed recurring roles on Better Call Saul, Lethal Weapon, and Young Sheldon, which McEntire actually guest-starred on herself earlier this year. The duo's paths also crossed in 2019, when McEntire's father was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners during the Western Heritage Awards, which Linn hosted. The country icon was previously married twice, but Linn is notoriously private so his relationships remain something of a question mark. Closer Weekly, however, reports that he was previously engaged.

Rex Linn isn't being shy about his feelings for Reba McEntire, however, with the two frequently popping up on her Instagram page. She described him as her "sugar tot" in a post alongside a photo of the two snuggling up. They're clearly spending plenty of time together, with Peterman gushing to Closer Weekly, "He [knows] the way to her heart." The actress advised her BFF is "really happy" with Linn, describing him as "somebody who's kind and loves everyone in her world too, which is great."

A source close to McEntire told Closer Weekly, "Reba is absolutely smitten by Rex and thinks he's just fabulous and such a sweetheart. She describes him as a breath of fresh air [and] says that Rex is such a caring and understanding man." According to the insider, Linn is McEntire's "No.1 fan." The CSI: Miami star has also been a huge support for the country star, with the source revealing, "He's helped save her from her struggle with anxiety and depression during the pandemic."