Celebrity Splits
Why Reba McEntire Was ‘Scared to Death’ After Divorce From Narvel Blackstock
Reba McEntire is happily engaged to Rex Linn, but she’s suffered heartbreak before. The Voice coach has been married twice, but her divorce from Narvel Blackstock was particularly difficult to deal with in the aftermath.
The former couple divorced in 2015 after more than 25 years of marriage. In a new interview, McEntire opened up about why her split from Blackstock left her “scared to death.”
Blackstock was McEntire’s manager during the entirety of their marriage, and everything fell apart after their split. “Everybody took care of everything. All I had to do was get up and sing. When that dissolved, all that team went with him, and I was scared to death,” she told Esquire. “I was deserted, abandoned, and left. I threw a fit.”
The “I’m a Survivor” singer picked herself up and navigated this new chapter on her own. “And then there they were, my angels, right there beside me. ‘Hey, you’re learning. 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,'” she added.
Blackstock reportedly walked away with a $47.5 million divorce settlement. In 2024, he married McEntire’s former friend, Laura Stroud. At the 2025 Emmy Awards, McEntire and Linn confirmed their engagement.
McEntire was a stepmom to Blackstock’s son, Brandon Blackstock, who died in August from melanoma at the age of 48. “Last week, my stepson/oldest son Brandon Blackstock went home to be with God,” McEntire said in a statement. “His struggle is over and he is in eternal peace in God’s presence. There is no one else like him, and I’m thankful for the time we had together. His legacy and laughter will be carried on through his family. Rest in peace cowboy. Happy trails to you til we meet again.”
