Tragic Details About The Cast Of Reba

The following article mentions eating disorders and sexual harassment allegations. 

Despite the show ending in 2007, "Reba" still holds a soft spot in the hearts of many fans. Though the series dealt with some serious topics — teen pregnancy, divorce, addiction — it did so in a heartwarming way that helped people connect to both the content and the characters. As such, fans also connected with the talented cast portraying those characters over the series' six-season run. Though the "Reba" actors have experienced many highs in their lives and careers, there have also been some big lows. Here we highlight some of the tragic things that have happened in Reba McEntire's life, and the lives of co-stars such as Christopher Rich and Scarlett Pomers.

When "Reba" made its television debut in 2001, McEntire was the only recognizable name on the cast and, even then, no one knew if she could act well enough to front a sitcom. McEntire had only a few acting roles on her resume prior to the show, but people quickly fell for her portrayal of no-nonsense divorced mother Reba Hart. The show also introduced Rich — at the time best known for his work on "Murphy Brown" and "The George Carlin Show" — to a whole new audience, while at the same time making new stars out of its younger cast, especially Steve Howey and future Hallmark star JoAnna Garcia Swisher. But not even fame can protect people from misfortune and heartbreak, so let's take a look at some tragic details about the cast of "Reba."

Hollywood is not necessarily known for its long marriages, but Nashville? Nashville is a place where marriages go the distance. From Dolly Parton's nearly 60-year marriage to the late Carl Dean to Faith Hill and Tim McGraw's epic 30-year love story, many country music legends have had notably long partnerships. After decades, it felt safe to assume that Reba McEntire and Narvil Blackstock were going to be one of those happily ever after stories too, but the fairytale came to an end in 2015 when the couple split.

Eventually, McEntire got stuck in a love triangle with Blackstock and her first husband, but love did not bloom until years after she and Blackstock met in 1980. The couple married in 1989, and welcomed their only child, son Shelby Blackstock, the following year (Blackstock also has older children from a previous relationship). The marriage was often framed as a great romance, but it turns out things were much more business than passion. "I think it works for some people. They can be married or have a relationship and work together. Our work was all the time," the star said on "The Drew Barrymore Show" in 2024. "Our marriage was 26 years. We started out working together in the band. 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, but it was business." Blackstock received $47.5 million from the split.

Reba McEntire suffered an unimaginable loss in March 1991, when a jet crashed into a mountain near the United States' border with Mexico, killing all 10 people aboard. This included two crew members, McEntire's tour manager, and seven members of McEntire's band. Though the singer was luckily on a separate plane with her husband, McEntire was emotionally wrecked by the crash. "I didn't know if I was going to be able to continue," McEntire told People years later. "But it showed me how precious life is, and by the grace of God and my faith, I realized that they went on to a better place."

Even though her entourage was on the way home from putting on a private show for IBM executives in San Diego, California, when the crash occurred, McEntire has said she never felt survivor's guilt thanks to her deep faith. The singer did, however, feel deep grief, as she was very close with those who died. In fact, some of these people had been working for her for years. McEntire credits her good friend Kenny Rogers with helping her bounce back from that horrific time. "Kenny saved my sanity in '91 when he asked me to come do the Gambler movie," she said to Taste of Country, in a reference to the TV film "The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw," in which she starred. "I was still in a state of disbelief and not knowing what I'm gonna do moving forward after the plane crash."

Christopher Rich appeared across all seasons of "Reba" as the titular character's cheating husband (and then ex-husband) Brock Hart. The audience should have hated Brock, but Rich somehow made him into a lovable figure despite his many, many flaws. The actor's charm is what warmed people to his character, and this sense of fondness extended to their feelings about Rich himself. This is precisely the reason why it has been so gut-wrenching for many fans to learn about Rich's post-show health struggles.

Rich was booked and busy immediately following the end of "Reba's" run, appearing on programs such as "Desperate Housewives," "Rizzoli & Isles," and "Melissa & Joey," as well as a few films. Unfortunately, work took a backseat in 2018, when the actor experienced a life-changing stroke and a few subsequent complications. "After my stroke and having a brain injury, it is like I got hit with an atomic bomb. So it all gets traumatized, and it is a hard reset," Rich told Us Weekly in 2025. "After I finally got out of the hospital, I was moving around again. Then I threw a bunch of blood clots and ended up in the hospital with lung embolisms and debris on my heart. After surviving all of that crap, I'm feeling really, really good." Rich's "Reba" family was there for him throughout the journey, which required him to relearn how to walk and talk. His former castmates even visited him in the hospital, which illustrates their close connection.

While the majority of events on our list occurred either before or after "Reba" was on the air, star Scarlett Pomers' health issues happened right in the middle of the show's run. This affected her presence on the show, which led to a fair amount of speculation over the reason for the star's absence. Years later, Pomers opened up about the severe anorexia that forced her to leave the show — and almost took her life.

Pommers, who played sarcastic middle child Kyra Hart on "Reba," began acting before she even hit her double digits. She was 13 when she started on the hit show in 2001, by which time she had already accumulated dozens of credits. But "Reba" provided the star with a whole new level of fame, as well as pressure. A few years later, the stress of preparing a musical debut and concerns over "Reba" being canceled led Pomers to develop a fixation on her food intake. "It was very stressful, and my weight became something I centered on. I became obsessed," she told People.

The 5'2" Pomers whittled down to only 73 pounds, causing enough concern that studio executives and family staged an intervention. It took her a while, but the actor eventually admitted to having a problem and entered a residential treatment program during Season 5 of "Reba." Pomers appeared in only three out of 22 episodes that season, although she did return full-time for the show's sixth and final season.

If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who does, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).

Though it does not always happen that way, parents are supposed to die before their children in the natural order of things. Losing one's parents is, therefore, about as close as you can get to a universal heartbreaking experience. Just because it is typical does not mean it is not difficult, however, and certain things can make the loss more painful. One tragic detail about Hallmark star JoAnna Garcia Swisher — who played teen mom Cheyenne Hart-Montgomery on "Reba" — is that the condensed timeline of losing one parent after another amplified her already palpable grief. She also lost her grandmother during this same time period, which coincided with the start of her popular Netflix series "Sweet Magnolias."

"My daughters have watched me go through so much in the last year, from the highs of the success of Sweet Magnolias to the lowest of lows, to losing my parents," Garcia Swisher said to People. "I'm super honest with those emotions. I don't really try to sugarcoat anything. But I also wake up every day and I have an incredible amount of gratitude." Still, the star said not having her parents was a "gaping hole" in her life.

Garcia Swisher's father, Jay Garcia, died first. His November 2019 death was followed by her mother's death in March 2021, after multiple years of illness. "Some days are just harder than others. That whole thing about grief being like a wave. It's so true. Missing you so much, mom and dad," the actor posted on Instagram in September 2022.

Since "Reba's" end, JoAnna Garcia Swisher has gone on to appear as a series regular on many other television shows, including "Privileged," "Better with You," "The Astronaut Wives Club," and "Sweet Magnolias." She has also developed a sizable online following, with whom she shares key life moments and even deep emotions. Garcia Swisher has never shied away from more difficult topics, nor has she been afraid to divulge her own struggles. Mental health, for example, has been something that the actor has bravely opened up about on many occasions.

This has included sharing about an eating disorder and postpartum depression, but the actor has been most vocal about her experience with anxiety. "I don't know that I ever really remember a time where I didn't deal with it. I was uncomfortable a lot, really worried, [and felt] the weight of the world," she told Wondermind. "The journey to that discovery and how I manage it now is really about getting into the present because a lot of [anxiety] is that you're just living in the future."

Garcia Swisher has developed multiple strategies to deal with her anxiety, including working with a therapist and an energy healer. She even has a "recharging room" in her home, meant to help her practice proper self-care amidst a busy life as a working mom. "For someone like me who struggles with anxiety, getting into my body is my biggest tool that I have to get back to the present," she said to Wondermind.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

Steve Howey is another "Reba" star who has gone on to have a thriving career in the years following the series' end. Most notably, he starred on the hit show "Shameless" for a decade, playing a character (Kevin Ball) just as clueless and lovable as his "Reba" character, Van Montgomery. As his profile has grown, so too has the interest in Howey's personal life. That is most evident in the widespread coverage surrounding a lawsuit filed against Howey and his wife by a disgruntled former employee, which was ultimately dismissed.

In the 2016 lawsuit against Howey and then-wife Sarah Shahi, a former nanny alleged religious discrimination and sexual harassment at the hands of the couple. Amongst other things, the ex-employee alleged that Howey made comments that mocked her Islamic religious practices and garb, and that Shahi made unwanted sexual comments and, in one instance, inappropriately touched her. It was even alleged that Shahi showed the nanny photos of her husband naked, while also encouraging her to run off with him because she was having an affair. Though the case was dismissed, with no wrongdoing ever established, media failed to cover the dismissal — or note the lack of proof — in the same manner they broadcasted the uncorroborated accusations.

Many people do not realize that Steve Howey first met his eventual wife Sarah Shahi on the set of "Reba," while filming a 2004 episode on which Shahi was a guest. The pair became engaged on a Hawaii vacation in 2007, and married in Las Vegas in 2009. Shahi gave birth to their first child the same year they were married, and they added twins to their family years later, in March 2015. Years prior to their split, Howey discussed the difficulties of prioritizing the marriage amidst busy careers and three young kids. "If there was any energy left [in the day] it was for the kids and not for each other," he said on "Talk Nerdy With Us," where he also confessed he and Shahi had almost split in the past (via Us Weekly).

To the outside observer, it may have seemed like Howey and Shahi had an incredibly solid marriage. They weathered not only the aforementioned rough patch, but also the lawsuit from a former nanny alleging discrimination and harassment. "Steve and I, we've been together for 18 years. You know, there's a special place in heaven for us because we've already been to hell," Shahi told "Access Hollywood" in 2019. "It's a partnership, you know? Especially when you have kids, and you have to be able to rely on the other person." Though it appeared the couple were in it for the long haul, they announced their split in April 2020 and finalized their divorce the following April.