Reba McEntire Breaks Her Silence on Life After Divorce — “I Was Scared to Death, but I Had to Keep Going”.LC
“The Voice” coach and country superstar Reba McEntire was left feeling very alone after her divorce from Narvel Blackstock. “I was deserted, abandoned, and left,” she revealed in a recent interview with Esquire.
The former couple were married from 1985 until 2015, during which time Blackstock also served as McEntire’s manager. When the marriage ended, it affected some of her professional relationships as well.
“Everybody took care of everything. All I had to do was get up and sing,” McEntire shared. “When that dissolved, all that team went with him, and I was scared to death.”
But the loss proved to be an invaluable life lesson for the “Happy Place” star, as she felt guided to become more independent. “And then there they were, my angels, right there beside me. ‘Hey, you’re learning.’” McEntire said. “‘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.’”
The Loss of Brandon Blackstock Hit Reba McEntire Hard
McEntire and Blackstock share a son, Shelby Blackstock, 35 and the singer was also the stepmother of Blackstock’s children from a previous marriage, Shawna, Chassidy, and the late Brandon Blackstock. “I don’t consider Brandon, Chassidy and Shawna stepchildren,” McEntire shared with The Boot in 2010. “I claim them all.”
Brandon, Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband, sadly passed away on August 7 at the age of 48 following a years-long battle with melanoma. McEntire was devastated by the loss and took to Instagram to share a moving tribute.
“There is no one else like him, and I’m thankful for the time we had together,” she captioned a series of photos of her and her stepson. “Rest in peace cowboy. Happy trails to you til we meet again.”
McEntire Is Newly Engaged
McEntire has lots of good things happening in her life at the moment, both personally and professionally. In September, it was revealed that she and her boyfriend Rex Linn, who began dating in 2020, are engaged to be married.
“It happened a few months ago and they are very happy,” a source shared with People. According to McEntire, she and Linn share an unusual hobby. “Rex and I are birders, and we can pretty much tell you what bird is what by sound or look,” she told Esquire. “When you’re looking at these birds, so colorful and beautiful, that, to me, is the face of God.”
