Reba McEntire Recalls Sweet Moment She Connected With Boyfriend Rex Linn

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Reba McEntire is dishing the details of how her relationship with boyfriend Rex Linn turned from friendship to a whirlwind romance.

While appearing on The Drew Barrymore Show during the Friday, March 1 episode, McEntire recalled being “like a magnet” to Linn when they connected on the set of Young Sheldon, despite having already been friends for almost 30 years.

The “Fancy” songstress first met Linn in 1991 while filming The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw, although they were both in relationships with other people at the time.

It wasn’t until 2020 when they began looking at each other in a different light.

“We were all going to go out and have dinner. Melissa [Peterman] says that that was our first date, because, I mean, I was like a magnet to Rex,” McEntire, 68 told host Drew Barrymore. “I just couldn’t get close enough to him.”

“I don’t know why. We had talked and communicated throughout the years, had a mutual friend, Ed Gaylord, and we stayed in contact. But for some reason, that night was just so special,” she continued.

The Voice judge said she has since asked Linn, 67, why they didn’t get together earlier, and he thinks it is because McEntire “would have killed” him during their younger years.

“He’s a wild man. He’s a 12-year-old,” the country legend joked.

But clearly, things were meant to be for McEntire and Linn, who ended up connecting over tater tots of all things while on their first “date.”

After having dinner, the pair went to a wine bar, where the server offered them some appetizers since they had already eaten a full dinner—and much to the Big Sky actress’ delight, tater tots were on the menu.

Once McEntire enthusiastically ordered her tots and proclaimed her love for the fried potato snack, Linn told her, “You know I’m famous for giving people their nicknames and that’s your nickname—’Tater Tot.'”

McEntire later came up with the name “Sugar Tot” to nickname Linn in return. “We’re the tots—sugar and tater.”

“So, we’ve been together ever since. He’s a sweetheart,” the smitten musician added.

And the rest is history!