Reba McEntire didn't just share her current relationship status on the red carpet of the 2025 Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sep. 14. The multi-hyphenate also shared an update on her family with the outlet Entertainment Tonight.
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McEntire was previously married to Narvel Blackstock for 26 years and divorced in 2015. She was stepmother to music manager Brandon Blackstock.
After Brandon married singer and talk show host Kelly Clarkson in 2013, the American Idol winner became part of McEntire's family by marriage. Brandon, who battled cancer for three years, had four children—two with Clarkson, River Rose and Remington—before his death on Aug. 7. He was 48 years old.
"How's the Family Holding Up?"
While making their way through the red carpet, McEntire and her fiancé, actor Rex Linn, stopped to talk with Entertainment Tonight reporter Cassie DiLaura.
Before the interview came to a close, DiLaura asked how the couple was doing after Brandon's passing.
"Well, we miss him. We miss him every minute," McEntire replied. "The kids are doing well. They're all bonding together and hanging out with each other and taking it one day at a time. We know God's got this."
DiLaura also asked about race car driver Shelby Blackstock, McEntire's son with Narvel.
"Shelby's doing great, thank you for asking," she said.
Reba McEntire Loved Brandon
As we reported in August, Brandon and McEntire had a strong bond.
"Brandon's been my son forever, it seems," said McEntire. "Although he's my stepson, I still love him like he's my total -- my blood, so I'm praying for them both 'cause I love them both."
Even after Brandon and Clarkson's divorce, McEntire emphasized that her feelings for both of them were unchanged.
"Kelly and I do talk," McEntire says. "We text, and I love them both. And so, I can't play favorites because I've been a friend of Kelly for a long time."
Shortly before his death, Clarkson announced that she was postponing dates for her Las Vegas residency to be with her children.
"While I normally keep my personal life private, this past year, my children's father has been ill," she wrote on social media. "And at this moment, I need to be fully present for them."
Photo by Leah Puttkammer/FilmMagic
