In an interview with E! News, correspondent Zuri Hall referred to the pair—both stars of the sitcom Happy’s Place—as fiancés. McEntire, 70, beamed as she responded, “We’re having a blast on Happy’s Place and so glad to be here tonight.” People magazine later verified their engagement.

Though they began dating in 2020, McEntire and Linn, 68, first met decades earlier. The country music icon and the actor crossed paths on the set of The Gambler opposite Kenny Rogers back in 1991. They reconnected years later while working on Young Sheldon. It was after the passing of McEntire’s mother that Linn reached out to offer his support—a gesture that sparked their romance.

“Rex and I kept in touch over the years,” McEntire shared during a 2021 appearance on Today. “When my mother became ill, he called me. We started talking more in March 2020, and by June we were seeing each other. We’ve been pretty much inseparable ever since.”

This will be the third marriage for McEntire. She was first wed to steer wrestling champion Charlie Battles from 1976 to 1987, during which time she became stepmother to his two sons. In 1989, she married talent manager Narvel Blackstock. Together they had one daughter, Shelby, and McEntire helped raise his three children from a previous marriage—including Brandon Blackstock, the late ex-husband of Kelly Clarkson, who passed away last month. McEntire and Blackstock divorced in 2015.

During Sunday’s Emmy ceremony, McEntire also took the stage to honor the legacy of The Golden Girls, performing the classic theme song alongside country artists Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman.