Reba McEntire Opens Up About Divorce From Narvel Blackstock, Says She “Was Scared To Death”
Reba McEntire opened up in an interview about being "scared to death" following her divorce from her husband and manager, Narvel Blackstock, in 2015. (Photo Credit: Kevin Mazur / WireImage / Getty Images)
Reba McEntire And Her Husband/Manager Narvel Blackstock Divorced In 2015
Country music icon Reba McEntire and talent manager Narvel Blackstock had been married for 26 years before their divorce in 2015.
Reba opened up about their split in a new interview published by Esquire on September 16, 2025. She revealed that she was “scared to death” after the divorce, mainly because Narvel also worked as her manager for many years.
She spoke honestly about the emotions she experienced after the divorce:
“My manager was my husband from 1989 to 2015,” she said. “Everybody took care of everything. All I had to do was get up and sing. When that dissolved, all that team went with him, and I was scared to death. I was deserted, abandoned, and left. I threw a fit. And then there they were, my angels, right there beside me. ‘Hey, you’re learning. You didn’t know how much a gallon of milk was, now you do. Now get out there. You can do it. You’re tough. We taught you better.'”
Reba and Narvel welcomed their first and only child together, a son named Shelby, in 1990. Narvel also has three children from his first marriage to Elisa Gayle Ritter—Shawna, Chassidy, and Brandon. Reba cared deeply for her stepchildren and seemed to maintain a relationship with them after her divorce from Narvel.
Sadly, the Blackstock family recently experienced a tragic loss. Brandon Blackstock died on August 7, 2025, following a private battle with cancer. He also worked as a talent manager and was a father of four. He shared his two youngest children, River and Remington, with Kelly Clarkson, to whom he was married from 2013 to 2020.
After Brandon’s death, Reba paid tribute to him on social media, writing:
“Last week, my stepson/oldest son Brandon Blackstock went home to be with God. His struggle is over and he is in eternal peace in God’s presence. There is no one else like him, and I’m thankful for the time we had together. His legacy and laughter will be carried on through his family. Rest in peace cowboy. Happy trails to you til we meet again.”
Reba Found Love Again With Actor Rex Linn, And They Recently Got Engaged
During this sad time, Reba has been leaning on her new fiancé, Rex Linn.
She and Rex met years ago while working together on Kenny Rogers‘ movie The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw. They kept in touch and remained friends for decades.
By January 2020, Reba was several years removed from her divorce from Narvel. She flew out to Los Angeles to meet some friends for dinner, and Rex was there.
Sparks flew between the longtime friends, a romance blossomed, and they’ve been inseparable ever since. They call each other “The Tots” (because Reba loves tater tots), and they’ve acted together in several projects, including The Hammer, Big Sky, and Happy’s Place.
Then, at the 2025 Primetime Emmy Awards on September 14, it was revealed the couple recently got engaged! A representative for Reba confirmed the news to Country Rebel.
Narvel Blackstock has since remarried. He and Laura Stroud said “I do” in 2024.
