Reba McEntire Opens Up Life After Divorce Being a 'Huge, Huge Change'
By Fiyin Olowokandi on October 4, 2021 at 3:50 PM EDT
Reba McEntire is opening up about her divorce and its impact on her life six years after it happened.
During a recent appearance on Apple Fitness + "Time To Walk," the country music icon got candid about the life changes she faced after she split from her ex-husband Narvel Blackstock in 2015.
McEntire revealed that her divorce was such an eye-opener for her as she realized that she wasn't in charge of her affairs and business. She explained in the People coverage of the event:
Things started going south with my marriage. Narvel Blackstock, my manager and husband at the time — we got a divorce, and the shocker of it all was, there were four people who were taking care of all my business.
The "Consider Me Gone" crooner revealed that her career was controlled mainly by four men ― her father, her husband, who served as her manager, her production manager, and CEO ― and they all left her life simultaneously.
Her production manager and CEO stepped away, and months before her split from Blackstock, her father passed away. It was indeed a trying time for the singer, but it also pushed her to step up and take charge of her life.
The 66-year-old explained that she had to undergo significant changes and adapt to her new life while recalling:
I started taking over signing the checks and then I started realizing how much water cost, and the electric bill, and all the things that was going on in my life. I made the money, I brought it home. So it was a huge, huge change for me.
Although McEntire took care of her business, she also had to deal with the challenges in her personal life. The country singer shared that she had to rely on her faith to go through the tough time.
She credited God for her thriving career and advised that people going through similar issues surround themselves with positive people. McEntire is part of the star-studded cast of season 2 of "Time To Walk," including Shawn Mendes, Uzo Aduba, and NBA Player Draymond Green.
McEntire And Blackstock's Relationship
The "Tremors" star and Blackstock were married for 26 years before they ended things. The duo met while working when he joined her band, and they toured together.
At the time, McEntire was married to her first husband, Charlie Battles, while Blackstock was with his first wife, Elisa Gayle Ritter. After the pair split from their respective partners, McEntire made Blackstock her manager, and things developed from that moment.
The former lovebirds tied the knot in 1989 and welcomed son Shelby Blackstock during the course of their marriage. After the split, McEntire has since moved on with actor Rex Linn while Blackstock moved on to date a real estate agent.
