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Reba McEntire, the country icon whose voice helped shape generations, is turning 70 with more energy, love, and joy than ever. In a new interview, the Grammy winner says she's finally living her "happiest season," both professionally and personally, thanks in large part to her fiancé, actor Rex Linn.
"I've never been loved by a man like Rex," McEntire admits with a smile. "He's a very tender-hearted man, and I just love him with all my heart." The couple's love story has been decades in the making, they first met in 1991 on the set of The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw but didn't reconnect romantically until 2020. Linn proposed quietly last December, and Reba says she's "never felt more sure" about anything.
Beyond love, McEntire's career is thriving. This fall, she's juggling two NBC hits: The Voice season 28 and Happy's Place season 2, premiering November 7. She calls Happy's Place her "home away from home," thanks to her on-screen family that includes Melissa Peterman, Belissa Escobedo, and her real-life fiancé, Linn. "We are a tight-knit acting team," she says. "Every time I step on that set, it feels like home, it's my happy place."
The Fancy singer also gushes about her fellow Voice coaches, Snoop Dogg, Michael Bublé, and Niall Horan, revealing they start each episode with a group prayer. "Snoop instigated that," she laughs. "It's one of my favorite parts."
At 70, McEntire is learning to live in the moment, something she once struggled with. "The hardest lesson I've ever tried to learn is to quit living for tomorrow or yesterday," she says. "It's so rewarding when it clicks."
Though some might expect retirement talk, Reba has no such plans. "Dolly [Parton] told me, 'Why would I retire when I love what I do?' I agree with her 100 percent," she says. "Maybe I'll slow down someday, but right now, I'm just too happy."
