Rex Linn’s Friends and Family Urging Him to ‘Take the Lead’ and Propose to Reba McEntire Soon

Reba McEntire and Rex Linn are happier than ever after celebrating five years together, and friends are urging the former NCIS actor to finally propose and put a ring on her finger, a source exclusively tells Closer.

“Rex and Reba are so in love, and she is a very traditional woman. It’s hard to imagine she wouldn’t want to get married,” the insider says.

The source notes that the “I’m a Survivor” singer, 69, and the Young Sheldon actor, 68, “already act like a married couple,” so they might as well make things official!

“They’ve been inseparable since almost day one,” the insider continues. However, there’s one thing that could stand in the way of the couple taking the next step in their relationship.

“Reba isn’t the type to do the asking. If it’s going to happen, Rex has to take the lead, and the problem is, he’s quite a commitment-phobe,” the source says. “He’s never been married. There’s a reason for that, and it’s not for a lack of women that wanted to marry him.”

While Rex has yet to make it down the aisle, Reba has been married twice — first to Charlie Battles from 1976 to 1987 and then to Narvel Blackstock from 1989 to 2015.

Though Reba “plays it cool and would never pressure” Rex into marriage, the source concludes that his “family and friends think he’s crazy for not locking her down and they’re telling him not to miss this shot. As much as she acts laissez-faire, deep down she does want to get to that next level, and if Rex doesn’t step up to the plate the worry is that she might lose interest.”

Reba and Rex first met on the set of The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw in 1991. Nearly 30 years later, the pair reconnected when the Reba star made a guest appearance on Young Sheldon in 2020, and they began dating soon after.

Five years later, the couple is still going strong and celebrated their anniversary on January 24.

“Celebrating five years of tater tots this week! #thetots #anniversary,” Reba captioned a set of photos, referencing the sweet “Tot” nicknames they gave each other.

The “Fancy” singer once explained that Rex started calling her “Tater Tot” when they were out to dinner one night and went to a wine bar afterward. When a waiter told her about the appetizers, she raised her hand when he said they had tater tots.

“And so Rex said, ‘That’s your nickname from here on out: Tater Tot,’” Reba explained during a March 2023 appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show.

Reba also decided that she would call Rex “Sugar Tot.”

“We’re the tots, Sugar and Tater,” she continued. “So, we’ve been together ever since. He’s a sweetheart.”

Though Reba is leaving the ball in Rex’s court when it comes to getting engaged, a source previously told Closer in May 2024 that it’s definitely something she’s looking forward to.

“Reba never wanted to get divorced from Narvel, but she believes in second chances and feels she’s met her true soulmate in Rex,” the insider said. “She says getting married is ‘up to him’ but that’s code for ‘put a ring on it!’ She wants the fairy tale.”