Reba McEntire Shares Why Her 'Heart Went Out' To Jean Smart

The year 2021 was a bittersweet one for Jean Smart. The actor lost her husband Richard Gilliland in March following a brief illness, per Variety. He was 71. Smart opened up about her grief during an interview with The New Yorker in June, sharing that her partner was "one of those actors who never got the chance to really show what he could do ... He really sacrificed his career for me to be able to take advantage of my opportunities. I wouldn't have all this if it wasn't for him."

A few months later, Smart won an Emmy for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Deborah Vance n HBO Max's "Hacks." During her speech, Smart acknowledged Gilliland and echoed similar sentiments about his sacrifices. "I would not be here without him, without him putting his career on the back burner so that I could take advantage of all the opportunities that I've had," she told the crowd, before praising her "courageous" kids.

Yet, while the "Designing Women" actor has endured a roller coaster of emotions on-screen and off, her time on the Emmys stage was an experience unto itself. During a chat with Reba McEntire, Smart discussed how she really felt while giving her acceptance speech.

Jean Smart appeared on Reba McEntire's "Living & Learning" podcast on November 8, where she opened up about losing her husband of nearly 34 years, Richard Gilliland. The country singer, who lost her mother Jacqueline in 2020, praised the star for her "wonderful" acceptance speech at the Emmys, admitting that Smart's words made her so "full of emotion." McEntire said, "My heart goes out to you ... How do you get through rough times like that?"

Smart explained, "I've never had [a rough time] like this so you just hang on. You know people say, 'Oh, you're so strong.' I go, 'Based on what, why are you saying that?' I don't feel strong at all about that." The actor also said she had to be strong for her 13-year-old child, adding, "I want everything to be pretty much stable for him, to stay the same, and so I still get up in the morning, pack his lunch and make him breakfast and get him to school and try to think of the good times."

Smart previously told The New Yorker she never dreamed she would lose Gilliland this soon, adding that his ability to make her laugh is "going to be hard to live without."