Reba McEntire Shares ‘Come to Jesus’ Moment After Her Divorce
Reba McEntire has made no secret of the fact that she did not want her divorce in 2015, and in a new podcast, the country music superstar shares the moment that made her realize that she had no choice but to move forward.
In a new episode of her podcast, Living & Learning With Reba McEntire, the iconic singer, actor and author tells her former Reba co-star Melissa Peterman that she was left with no other option after her divorce from her husband of 26 years and longtime manager, Narvel Blackstock. In an episode titled "Forging Your Own Path," McEntire says, "I think forging your own path, that's your choice. The divorce was not my choice. I did not want it at all. So it was left up to me of, 'Okay, kid, how you gonna handle this?'"
"So when the three people who were literally taking care of me, my company and my career left me, it was kind of a 'Buckle up, buttercup' moment for me," McEntire adds with a laugh. "I had to ... what the hell am I gonna do?"
A meeting with her professional team clarified the way forward, McEntire recalls.
"It was kind of a, as I call it, a 'come to Jesus' meeting, and I had to gather my wherewithal, put my feelings aside and go forward."
Left with her band, crew and businesses to deal with on her own, McEntire says, "It was forging a path that I didn't want any part of, but I had to do it ... and so it was Catch Up 101," she relates. "I had to learn so much that was dumped on my lap. But I think it's made me appreciate the business more. I've learned a lot. There I was again, forging another part of the territory I never even thought I would have to be involved in."
McEntire announced her split from Blackstock in August of 2015. In December of 2015, beneath a photo of her management team she shared to social media, McEntire revealed that their divorce had been finalized on Oct. 28.
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