Reba McEntire Clarifies Engagement Status with Rex Linn After On-Air Mix-Up
Reba McEntire is clarifying her current relationship standing with Rex Linn to avoid any misunderstandings.
The 70-year-old McEntire gently corrected Today cohost Savannah Guthrie after Guthrie mistakenly called Linn, 69, the country star’s “husband” during an interview on Monday, December 1.
“You also found your husband there,” the 53-year-old Guthrie stated to McEntire. “Referring to Rex, dear Rex …”
McEntire promptly interjected to explain that she and Linn have not yet tied the knot. (Linn, present in the studio throughout the discussion, appeared visibly puzzled by Guthrie’s phrasing when the camera shifted to him.)
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“Hold on a second. Before everyone at home gets all worked up, we are merely engaged,” she stated.
Following Guthrie’s apology for the slip-up, McEntire revealed that her correction was primarily to prevent questioning from her family and friends.
“My relatives would react with, ‘Hold on, you didn’t inform us?!’” she added.
McEntire proceeded to express her delight about collaborating with Linn on her NBC sitcom, Happy’s Place.
“He is incredibly dedicated to his work and enjoys rehearsing extensively,” the “I’m a Survivor” vocalist shared. “I am less inclined towards rehearsals, so he ensures I am perfectly familiar with my script and prepared for recording days. We truly enjoy ourselves. We are immensely appreciative and grateful that we can both work and then return home alongside each other.”
Us Weekly verified the engagement of McEntire and Linn earlier in the year, following speculation that arose at the 2025 Emmys when a journalist addressed the pair as fiancés.
During her segment on the Today show, McEntire disclosed that their engagement took place in December 2024, but they had chosen to delay the announcement.
“It will be nearly a year this December,” she unveiled. “Many individuals were unaware. When he proposed to me, it was last Christmas Eve. Our intention was to announce it upon our return to Los Angeles, but the fires occurred. There was no appropriate space for our happiness amidst such a catastrophic situation affecting everyone else.”
Even though the announcement of their engagement in September was somewhat unplanned, McEntire mentioned she “did not correct” the reporter at the Emmys for calling Linn her fiancé because it “felt right to me.”
While Linn and McEntire are engaged, it could be some time before the couple ties the knot. The Voice mentor shared exclusively with Us this month that wedding planning has proven challenging.
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“Organizing a wedding is unfeasible due to our schedules,” she explained at the 2025 Paley Honors Fall Gala on November 10. “Our mindset is, ‘We’d like it this month, but if professional commitments arise, we’ll prioritize work, and then wed at a later date.’”
McEntire further stated, “Essentially, our careers take precedence.”
McEntire and Linn started their romantic relationship in 2020, almost three decades after their initial encounter during the filming of The Gambler Returns in 1991.
“We immediately connected over our shared Oklahoma residency and mutual affection for horses and performing,” McEntire penned in her 2023 memoir, Not That Fancy. “He brought me joy, and we developed a strong friendship.”
