Country music icon Reba McEntire found herself in an amusingly awkward situation live on US television, having to correct a presenter's significant error about her relationship status.
An On-Air Correction
During an appearance on NBC's Today show on Monday, 1 December 2025, co-anchor Savannah Guthrie made a blunder while discussing McEntire's projects with her partner. "You also met your husband there. So Rex, good ole Rex...," Guthrie, 53, began saying.
The 70-year-old singer and actress was quick to interject. "Now, wait a minute. Before everybody has a conniption fit at home, we're just engaged," McEntire clarified, prompting an immediate apology from Guthrie.
McEntire joked that her swift correction stemmed from a worry that her family would see the broadcast and react with confusion, saying they might think, "Wait, you didn't tell us?!"
The Fiancé's Reaction
The cameras then captured the reaction of McEntire's fiancé, actor Rex Linn, 69, who was also in the studio. He was seen looking momentarily puzzled by Guthrie's remark before breaking into a wide grin.
The couple, who have been dating since 2020, got engaged in December 2024. They currently work together on the sitcom Happy's Place, where McEntire plays Bobbie, a woman who inherits a bar, and Linn plays Emmett, a shy cook.
Speaking about their professional dynamic, McEntire called working with Linn a "blast." She highlighted their different approaches, noting, "He is a workaholic, and he loves to rehearse. Me, not so much on the rehearsal part, so he really makes sure that I know my lines."
A Relationship Forged in Unique Circumstances
McEntire and Linn first met in the 1990s but reconnected in January 2020 on the set of Young Sheldon. They began dating that June, but their early relationship was shaped by distance and loss.
"He was in Los Angeles, and I was in Oklahoma because my Mama had just died," McEntire explained in a 2022 interview. "We didn't get to see each other from March to June, but we'd talk over Zoom and FaceTime four to five times each day. We created a bond and an intimacy that was getting to know each other without being physical."
This will be the first marriage for Linn, while it will be the third for McEntire. She was previously married to Charlie Battles from 1976 to 1987, and to her former manager, Narvel Blackstock, from 1989 to 2015.
Linn has previously described their life together, both on and off set, fondly: "We're running lines constantly. But every once in a while, I'll sneak by for a quick kiss, just a peck on the cheek, and keep on moving. It's fun."
