How Reba McEntire Subtly Shaded Her Marriage To Narvel Blackstock

Reba McEntire, widely hailed as the queen of country, has now seemingly claimed the throne of shade too after throwing a dig at her former husband, Narvel Blackstock.

The country music world was blindsided by Reba McEntire's split from Narvel Blackstock after nearly three decades together. Yet, in the unpredictable Hollywood landscape, even seemingly solid relationships can end in dramatic breakups, and McEntire and Blackstock's marriage was no exception. After 26 years, the couple announced in a joint statement on McEntire's website that they were calling it quits, and Blackstock was added to the list of the singer's ex-husbands. "Despite this being the end of their marriage, they continue to support each other," the statement read. "They have worked together for 35 years and will continue to do so. They have asked that you respect their privacy during this time."

The split was a big change for McEntire, especially because she never wanted a divorce. As she told CMT Radio, "The divorce was not my idea. I didn't want it in any shape, form or fashion. So it was really hard to make the adjustment." McEntire needed the time to get situated with her new life without Blackstock, and it seems she has done just that. Nearly ten years after their divorce, McEntire has moved past her split but still has time to throw some shade at her ex-husband.

Hollywood, breakups tend to follow a script: announce the split and vow to move forward amicably. While some exes manage to stick to it, others find themselves in plots that get rather messy. In Reba McEntire's case, she threw shade at her ex-husband, Narvel Blackstock, nearly ten years after their messy split.

While appearing on "The Drew Barrymore Show," McEntire said her relationship with Blackstock was mainly for work after Drew Barrymore asked her about collaborating with a loved one. "I think it works for some people. They can be married or have a relationship and work together. Our work was all the time," she explained. For those who may not know, McEntire and Blackstock's relationship started professionally. He was a guitarist in her band before becoming her manager later on. They say to never mix business with pleasure, and McEntire and Blackstock's relationship comes as a cautionary tale.

The country singer explained to Barrymore, "He was part of the band, and then became my manager, later on then my husband, but it was a situation that was always business. Whether we were getting ready in the morning, pillow talk — whatever. It was business. Regardless of the hour, conversations between her and Blackstock seemed to orbit solely around work. 

Given the tumultuous process of finalizing their split, it's hardly surprising that Reba McEntire couldn't resist slipping in some subtle shade toward her ex-husband, Narvel Blackstock. The "Fancy" singer lost a lot in her divorce. Not only did she have to adjust to life without Blackstock, but she reportedly had to fork over $47.5 million to her ex. While it's unclear how the former couple arrived at the figure, it's definitely a sizable chunk of change.

Blackstock, her husband and manager, had taken control of her finances during their marriage. However, when the couple divorced, McEntire had to take on her finances on her own. During an Apple Fitness+ Time to Walk event, the country singer opened up about her monetary situation post-divorce. "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," she explained, adding, "I made the money, I brought it home. So it was a huge, huge change for me." While she navigated through the challenges post-split, the country crooner also struck up a new relationship with Rex Linn — and we're here for it.