Reba McEntire Gushes About Relationship With 'Sugar Tot' Rex Linn: 'He's a Sweetheart'

Reba McEntire can't get enough of her love, Rex Linn! On Wednesday's episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show, the country music singer opens up about her relationship with the Better Call Saul actor.

When asked about finding love, McEntire gushes as she tells their story. "Well, Rex Linn, my boyfriend," she says to the sound of applause from the audience and Hudson. "Isn't he handsome? He's a handsome rascal." 

McEntire recalls, "We met in 1991, we were both in the movie with Kenny Rogers, The Gambler. So his best friend from sixth grade is Ed Gaylord, and I've known Ed a long time. We're all friends. Then in January of 2020, before COVID, I was doing Young Sheldon TV show, Rex was doing Young Sheldon, so was was Melissa Peterman -- who was Barbara Jean on the Reba show."

The 68-year-old country crooner goes on to explain that during the filming of Young Sheldon, Linn extended an offer to dinner, which she had to postpone. When she was finally able to join him and a group, they had a good time and ended up at a wine bar -- which became the origin story for their sweet pet names.

"So we all went to dinner, had a good time," McEntire shares. "We went down the street to a wine bar and they said, 'Well, I understand that you already had dinner, but we do have some good appetizers.' I said, 'What do you have?' They said, 'Well, we have tater tots.'"

Reba says that her hand shot up, and upon seeing her excitement, Linn gave her the cute nickname. "So Rex said, 'That's your nickname from here on out, Tater Tot."

McEntire also reveals that she calls the 66-year-old actor "Sugar Tot."

"We're the tots," she gushes to Hudson. "Sugar and Tater. So we've been together ever since. He's a sweetheart.

The Reba star shares that she and Linn also bond over music. "He does sing," she reveals. "He loves music, he's a huge music fan. He'd come up and send me songs during COVID, he sent me food."

McEntire adds that Linn was also there from a distance when her mother, Jacqueline Smith, died in March 2020. She says he sent her and her sisters "pecan pie, lobster tails and steaks" while they were handling their mom's affairs.

McEntire and Linn's romance also played a part in the menu at her restaurant, Reba's Place, in Atoka, Oklahoma. Last month, ET's Cassie DiLaura spoke with the singer, who dished about how her favorite snack and namesake are on the menu.

"Tator tots are on the menu for sure," she quipped.

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