Reba McEntire ‘Felt Used’ During Her Marriage to Narvel Blackstock: ‘She Hates to Believe It’

It’s been nearly 10 years since Reba McEntire got her walking papers from ex-husband Narvel Blackstock, but friends say the songbird’s emotions are still raw — and she now believes he used the marriage to pad his pockets!

“It was a situation that was always business,” says the country queen. “Whether we were getting ready in the morning, pillow talk, whatever, but it was business” — even on supposedly romantic vacations!

Reba, now 69, hired Narvel to play steel guitar in her touring band back in 1980. He worked his way up to tour manager, personal manager and finally husband when the pair tied the knot in 1989.

But Reba didn’t appreciate “in any shape, form or fashion” the divorce Narvel, 67, cooked up in 2015 to end their 26-year marriage.

Still, Reba got her revenge when Narvel’s Starstruck Entertainment agency took major hits. Not only did Reba pull out, but Kelly Clarkson ditched them in 2020 on the heels of her divorce from Narvel’s son from his first marriage — Brandon Blackstock, who was also her manager.

Soon afterward, Narvel’s sole remaining superstar client, Blake Shelton, left his management in 2021. “Reba says she hates to believe it, but after she turned 60, she thinks Narvel was feeling she wasn’t going to be a big moneymaker so he didn’t want to stay in the marriage,” a pal tells Closer. “She ended up feeling used. But it turned out his company took a nosedive after their divorce, so Reba can look back and say the decision blew up in Narvel’s face!”