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Reba McEntire Reveals How She Fell In Love With Boyfriend Rex Linn – ‘I Couldn’t Get Close Enough To Him’

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The country music icon Reba McEntire has been dating the actor Rex Linn for three years, and she brought him with her on the TODAY show on Monday morning to talk about how they met.

McEntire Gushes Over Linn

While filling in for Hoda Kotb, McEntire told her co-host Jenna Bush Hager about Linn, who she’s nicknamed “Sugar Tot.”

“He is ‘Sugar Tot.’ I’m ‘Tater Tot,’ he’s ‘Sugar Tot,’” explained McEntire, 68. “We’re ‘the Tots.’”

McEntire went on to explain that though she met Linn, 66, decades ago while working on the 1991 Kenny Rogers film The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw, it wasn’t until three years ago that sparks flew between them.

“We stayed in communication all those years, and then in 2020, right before the pandemic, we had dinner together and have been together ever since,” McEntire recalled. “I couldn’t get close enough to him.”

Bush Hager responded by saying that she loves the romance, adding that it’s “so much fun” to see McEntire “so in love.”

“I’m telling you, he’s a great guy to be in love with,” McEntire said, with Linn chiming in to add with a smile, “I like her.”

Check out this full segment in the video below.

McEntire And Linn’s Nicknames

McEntire and Linn had previously explained how they got their “Tot” nicknames during a 2021 episode of her podcast “Living & Learning with Reba McEntire,” saying that it started when they went to dinner with some friends, and Tater Tots were on the menu.

“That was the perfect moment. You ordered Tater Tots, you delved into them like a great white shark with ketchup,” Linn told McEntire. “And I just thought, that’s it. It’s ‘Tater Tot.’”

As for how Linn became known as “Sugar Tot,” that happened when McEntire’s sister Susie told the singer on the phone, “Tell ‘Sugar Tot’ hi for us.”

While appearing on TODAY on Monday, McEntire revealed that Linn will be featured in her upcoming lifestyle book, “Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots,” which is set to hit stores on October 10.

“There’s some cute stories about him, and some great pictures,” she said, adding that the book includes Linn’s recipe for “pecan-smoked beer can chicken tacos.”

“Just for that recipe alone, you have to get the book,” he joked.

McEntire’s Romantic History

McEntire has been married twice, with her first husband being Charlie Battles, to whom she was married from 1976 until they divorced in 1987. She then married Narvel Blackstock in 1989, remaining with him for 26 years until they divorced in 2015 in a split that she openly admitted was very difficult for her. Meanwhile, Linn has never been married, but he was engaged to Renee DeRese in 2010.

“It’s good to have a person to talk to, laugh with, get into subjects about what’s going on,” McEntire said in 2020, according to Yahoo News. “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. It’s just great getting to talk to somebody who I find very interesting, very funny, very smart and is interested in me, too.”

We’re so glad that McEntire appears to have finally met the love of her life. We wish both her and Linn many years of happiness to come!

James Conrad

James Conrad’s passion for politics is only overshadowed by his longstanding interest in Hollywood. His unique perspective as a gay conservative fuels him to challenge celebrity views and those who think they have a right to tell anyone how to think or vote. James proudly wields his minority point of view to combat identity politics and cut through his typecast. Fun fact: James’ guilty pleasure is the British royal family.