In 2015, the same year she ended her 26-year marriage to Narvel Blackstock, Reba McEntire released "Going Out Like That," a powerful anthem about surviving and thriving after a painful breakup. The lyrics celebrate embracing life and dancing like there's no tomorrow. Fast forward to today, and Reba is proving that life truly imitates art—she's found love again!
Just last month, the legendary singer, now 62, was living proof of her own lyrics. "Rooftop dancing," she gleefully announced in an Instagram post from her sun-soaked Mexican getaway. In the photo, Reba is all smiles, standing alongside a mystery man who turned out to be her new flame, Skeeter Lasuzzo.
View this post on Instagram5th stop on our Progressive Dinner Tour!!! Rooftop dancing!!!! Love all you crazy people!!! @shanetarleton @nataliefletch @lucindafletcher @martiefletcher #skeeterlasuzzo #5thstop
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For weeks, fans had been buzzing over this mystery man who kept popping up in Reba's social media posts. Then, during a New Year's Eve concert in Oklahoma, her close friend Ronnie Dunn dropped the bombshell: "She's got a new boyfriend named Skeeter." Skeeter Lasuzzo, a businessman and photographer, made a sweet appearance in a December 25 photo where Reba wished everyone a Merry Christmas "from our house to yours." The couple, joined by her son Shelby Blackstock and his girlfriend, raised a glass in celebration.
"Country music fans care about Reba as much as a person as they do as an artist," a close friend of Reba's told Closer. "It's only natural that she'd want to share her happiness with her fans and let them know, 'Hey, I'm okay.'" While Reba is taking things slow—this being her first romance after her emotional split from Narvel—she's clearly having a blast with Skeeter, a widower who's reignited the spark in her heart. "It's great to see Reba back to being her old self: a funny, sassy soul who's truly enjoying life again," an insider revealed. Reba herself added, "I'm just kind of winging it and taking it one day at a time. But I do want my fans to know that I'm very happy."
Reba's Journey Through Heartbreak
Reba deserves every bit of joy after enduring some tough times following her October 2015 divorce from Narvel. "The divorce was not my idea. I didn't want it in any shape, form, or fashion," she revealed about the unexpected end to their marriage. When Narvel decided to call it quits, Reba felt blindsided. "Ultimately, I had no other choice but to go along with his wishes," she explained. "I just thought it was the best thing to take my marbles and go play somewhere else—that's what my daddy always used to say."
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Adding to the complexity, Narvel began dating Reba's longtime friend Laura Putty Stroud. But Reba found strength in faith. "Being able to talk to God every day and say, 'You gotta help me through this. I'm gonna give it all to you,' and He did," she shared. Reba, who had previously divorced her first husband, rancher Charlie Battles, in 1987, was ready to take control of her life for the first time in nearly 40 years. "She wasn't scared, but she wanted room to breathe and time to figure things out," an insider said. "It's incredibly hard to be 60 and have a 26-year marriage end. She had to reassess her life, her direction, and her future."
Reba's Path to Healing
Working through self-doubt wasn't easy. "It's hard not to dwell on the 'whys' and ask yourself, 'What happened? What did I do wrong?'" Reba admitted. "But I knew to move forward, I had to forgive. So I prayed for everyone who hurt me, and then I let it go." Forgiveness wasn't immediate, but it became a pivotal moment in her emotional recovery. "It's the best blessing in the world to give yourself," Reba insisted. "When you forgive, all that hatred and resentment that eats away at your heart and stomach disappears, making room for more love. And you find better relationships."
Her career played a big role in her healing process. She committed to more performances with her friends for the Reba, Brooks & Dunn: Together in Vegas residency at Caesars Palace, now the longest-running country show in the coliseum's history. She also launched her own beauty line, Reba Beauty, and released the 2017 gospel album Sing It Now: Songs of Faith & Hope, which won Bluegrass/Country/Roots Album of the Year at the Gospel Music Association’s Dove Awards. "This album really helped me—not only to keep me busy, but to keep me busy on something that is good and positive and healing, which music is," she said. "You gotta have faith and hope to carry you through
