JoAnna García Swisher praises Reba McEntire, Christopher Rich for support after parents’ death

JoAnna García Swisher has nothing but love for her Reba roots—especially the TV parents who’ve stayed in her life long after the credits rolled.

In a warm and nostalgic episode of Sibling Revelry, hosted by Kate and Oliver Hudson, the Sweet Magnolias star took listeners down memory lane as she gushed about her bond with Reba McEntire and Christopher Rich, who played her mom and dad on the beloved early 2000s sitcom Reba. 

And let’s just say, those on-screen hugs clearly translated into real-life love.

“She’s the best. She is such an incredible human, just, like, just in general,” said Swisher, 45, about McEntire. 

“She’s just a girl that has big dreams … And so you see there’s like a very real humility, appreciation. She is such a huge star, and she just still amazes me with her, you know, like, ‘I can’t believe this is happening to me’ vibe.”

Though Reba wrapped nearly 20 years ago, the family ties haven’t loosened.

Swisher recently brought her two daughters to a Reba concert, and it wasn’t just a fan moment—they got some special time with the country icon herself.

“The girls love her so much. She’s so good to my girls,” Swisher said. 

“I just told her, I was like, ‘You know, looking back on all those pictures in that time in my life, I was so lucky to be a working actress on a television show that was beloved, but also, you know, that I had, like, real people that cared about me and made sure I was safe.’”

It turns out McEntire and Rich became more than TV parents—they stepped up in ways that still make Swisher emotional. 

After losing her own mom and dad, she shared that the two stars filled the gap with a kind of unconditional support that transcended the set.

Rich even officiated her 2010 wedding to former MLB star Nick Swisher, and yes—Reba and Melissa Peterman (who played her stepmom on the show) were bridesmaids.

“When something amazing happens for my kids,” she added, “I send pictures. These are people that genuinely are so excited to, like, see that and be a part of our lives and a part of our world.”

From on-screen laughs to lifelong love, it’s safe to say JoAnna’s Reba fam is still bringing the heart.