When Reba McEntire and her former husband, Narvel Blackstock, divorced in 2015 after 26 years of marriage, everything changed for McEntire. The Country Music Hall of Fame member lost not only her spouse, but her team as well, forcing her to start over again, in every way.

“My manager was my husband from 1989 to 2015,” McEntire tells Esquire. “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.”

Devastating as it was at the time, McEntire is now grateful for the experience, and the lessons she learned along the way.

“Then there they were, my angels, right there beside me,” McEntire shares. “‘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 McEntire’s Strong Christian Faith

McEntire has been vocal about her strong Christian faith, which has carried her through a lot of hard times, including the end of her marriage.

“I don’t know how I would get through the day without my faith,” McEntire says. “It’s there to celebrate with me, and it’s there to help me get back on my feet when something really horrible happens.”

Reba McEntire Finds Love Again With Rex Linn

In 2020, McEntire began dating Rex Linn, 30 years after they first became friends. They recently confirmed their engagement. And surprisingly, although McEntire is a worldwide superstar, their home life is really quite simple.

“My boyfriend Rex and I are birders, and we can pretty much tell you what bird is what by sound or look,” McEntire says. “When you’re looking at these birds, so colorful and beautiful, that, to me, is the face of God.”

McEntire ha been vocal about her love for Linn, and the way he has transformed her life, for the better.

“I think it’s a newfound strength. Once you’re confident in your love life, your at-home life, then you can go out and conquer the world,” McEntire reflects to Us Weekly.

“Rex and I are best friends,” she adds. “We have the same likes and dislikes. We’re foodies. We love to cook. We each wanted to be a cowboy and a cowgirl. Then we got into the entertainment business instead. Our dynamic works on and off-screen.”

McEntire admits she didn’t expect to fall in love with anyone again. But when she reconnected with Linn, she was instantly smitten.

“I didn’t expect it,” McEntire admits. “But everything just gelled, the success of us getting to work together, my touring and everything else fell into place. Timing is everything and everything happens for a reason.”

Fortunately for McEntire, the feeling is mutual.

“I think we have made each other better,” McEntire says. “Rex brings out the little girl in me and I have fun. I’m dorky, I’m goofy. He is too. We love to laugh, and we love each other. We both love watching television. We’re always on the lookout for a new series or movie to watch. He says that it’s his homework, watching other actors and learning from them. I do it for pure enjoyment.”