Country superstar Reba McEntire had a very big night at the 2025 Emmys on September 14, 2025. “The Voice” coach and star of “Happy’s Place” not only led a musical tribute for the 40th anniversary of “Golden Girls,” but also confirmed that she’s engaged after five years of dating actor Rex Linn.
The happy couple beamed as they walked the red carpet, with Linn, 68, in a black tuxedo and McEntire, 70, in a sequined black tuxedo jacket and matching long skirt. But it was the bling on the “Trailblazer” singer’s left ring finger that fans really wanted to see.
Reba McEntire Sported a Subtle Black Diamond Band at the Emmys
GettyAs outlets including E! News noted, McEntire sported a unique black diamond band throughout the evening — on the red carpet and during her “Golden Girls” tribute — rather than a traditional diamond ring.
Natural, black diamonds are rare gems called carbonados, featuring a “distinct and unusual polycrystalline diamond material,” according to the International Gem Society. The organization says they are only found in Brazil and the Central African Republic, but that black diamond engagement rings have been rising in popularity in recent years.
Although McEntire subtly confirmed her engagement at the Emmys, she did not say whether the ring she was sporting is her official engagement ring. She also didn’t share details on Linn’s proposal, but a source told People during the evening, “It happened a few months ago and they are very happy.”
Reba McEntire & Rex Linn Subtly Confirmed Their Engagement During Red Carpet Interview
The news of McEntire and Linn’s engagement broke during their red carpet interview with Zuri Hall of E! News — though their confirmation of the news was very subtle.
When Hall introduced the couple as “Reba McEntire and her fiancé, Rex Linn,” they both nodded and the country songstress said, “Yeah!”
Hall then noted that Linn is “co-starring on ‘Happy’s Place,’ I hear,” and McEntire replied, “We’re having a blast on ‘Happy’s Place’ and so glad to be here tonight.”
McEntire and Linn first met in the 1990s, but didn’t start dating until 2020 after he called to check in, having heard that her mom was ill.
“We’d gotten to see each other before because we’re both on ‘Young Sheldon,'” she explained on “The Today Show” in 2021. So starting in March of 2020, we just kept talking and visiting and finally got together, see each other in June.”
In May, McEntire told Fox Digital that theirs is a “perfect union,” noting, “Rex and I get along in every aspect. He’s a better cook than I am, so I like that, for sure. We love Longhorns, we love the cowboy way of life, cowgirl way of life, and we both got into the entertainment industry.”
McEntire was previously married to Charlie Battles from 1976 to 1987, and to Narvel Blackstock from 1989 to 2015, per Page Six, but Linn has never been married.
