Although Reba McEntire has kept her relationship with boyfriend Rex Linn low-key over the years, she recently opened up about it, revealing that they’ve “been pretty much inseparable” since they met.

“It was just like a magnet… We didn’t get to see each other from January ’til June 16, but we created an intimacy by texting and talking over the telephone that we wouldn’t have gotten if we’d have been together all of that time,” she opened up to E! on Tuesday, April 9.

Despite knowing each other since 1991, it wasn’t until 2020, following Reba’s guest appearance on Young Sheldon, a show in which Linn has been involved since its first season, that they began dating.

Reba McEntire, Rex Linn

She elaborated on the beginning of their relationship amid the pandemic, expressing gratitude for the fact that their initial phase occurred while they were physically apart. “It was very special and it was a great way of finding out about each other without ever touching” McEntire said. “It was a wonderful way to get to know each other better.”

She noted that individuals often “gravitate to the physical so quickly.” She continued to emphasize the importance of an emotional connection rather than solely a physical one. “You know the ins and outs of their personality and their faults…You love them for the way they are, instead of it being a total attraction and sizing them up because of appearance.”

Reba McEntire Gave Her Lover a Nickname and — Just Wow!

After their six-month virtual relationship, the country star shared that they’ve “been pretty much inseparable ever since June 16 of 2020.”

“Being loved is the greatest thing in the world… she gushed. “[Linn] makes me laugh. He is a very caring, down-to-earth, funny individual. He’s got a very witty sense of humor, very creative and I make him laugh.

McEntire has been married twice before — first to Charlie Battles from 1976 to 1987, and then to Narvel Blackstock from 1989 to 2015. With Blackstock, she shares a son named Shelby, who was born in 1990.

When asked if a third marriage was in the cards for her, she responded: “I’m truly committed to Rex. So if that’s something he feels totally strong about, that’s fine with me. He’s never been married before. So if he wants to experience that, I’m OK with that.”