ABC/Image Group LAAs single people across the world have learned in 2020, dating is tricky during a global pandemic. Still, many have managed to find happy relationships — and one of them is Reba McEntire.

The country superstar revealed her news in an episode of her podcast, Living & Learning with Reba McEntire, alongside her co-host Melissa Peterman and that installment’s special guest, Kristin Chenoweth.

“I am [dating someone],” Reba revealed. “A very, very sweetheart of guy, Rex Linn. And we’ve been talking during the pandemic. We had dinner with Rex, was it in January?…And then February on it was the COVID pandemic and we were talking, texting, FaceTime. And that’s a really good way to get to know people.”

In fact, it seems Reba is finding the upside of socially-distanced dating: She’s been able to get to know her new love interest through a long period of just talk.

“Discussions about our past, our family, funny stories, him being an actor, me being an actress. And he’s very into my music. I’m very into his career,” she explains. “It’s just great getting to talk to somebody who I find very interesting, very funny, very smart, and is interested in me, too.”

So, just who is Reba’s new boyfriend?  A 63-year-old Texas native whose family relocated to Oklahoma when he was young, Rex is an actor known for playing the role of Frank Tripp in TV series CSI: Miami. He’s also appeared in films including as Cheaper By the Dozen and A Million Ways to Die in the West, as well as TV shows like Young Sheldon, Waco, Better Call Saul and Nashville.

Early on this year, Rex shared a snapshot to social media of the dinner date that Reba mentioned as the start of their relationship.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.