Reba McEntire Accidentally Took a 25mg Gummy with Her Late Mom: 'There Was Weeds and Flowers Growing Out of My Head'

McEntire told a hilarious story about taking care of her late mother, Jacqueline, before she died of bladder cancer in 2020

  • Reba McEntire opened up about the time she accidentally ingested a 25mg gummy while taking care of her late mom, Jacqueline
  • The country star told the story during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
  • "I swear there was weeds and flowers growing out of my head," recalled the Queen of Country

Reba McEntire learned the hard way to be careful with infused gummies.

During an appearance on the Oct. 28 episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the Queen of Country hilariously recalled accidentally overindulging in a 25mg gummy while taking care of her late mom, Jacqueline, before she died of bladder cancer in March 2020.

The moment occurred in January 2020, when the "Fancy" singer went to spend time with Jacqueline in Oklahoma and give her siblings, Alice, Pake and Susie, a break from looking after their mother.

Reba McEntire (L) and Jacqueline Smith attend Muhammad Ali's Celebrity Fight Night XXII at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa on April 8, 2016 in Phoenix, Arizona
Reba McEntire and her mother, Jacqueline, in Phoenix in April 2016.

Charley Gallay/Getty 

"Alice told me, she said, ‘Now, if Mama starts hurting tonight when y’all go to sleep, give her one of these gummies.’ And I said, 'OK, alright.’ And I said, ‘The whole thing?’ She said, ‘Yeah, the whole thing,'" Reba began.

"Well, I wasn’t really comfortable with that," added the Happy's Place star. "So, when we started going to bed, I said, ‘Mama, let’s get ahead of this pain. I’m gonna give you half of this.’ She said, ‘Well, what do I do with it?’ I said, ‘Put it in between your cheek and your gum like a dip of Skoal or something,’ you know? So, she did, and boy, she just went to sleep."

Reba added, "I thought, ‘Well, shoot. Mama’s taking it. I need to see what she’s experiencing.’"

Reba McEntire visits SiriusXM Studios
Reba McEntire in New York City on Oct. 28, 2024.

Jason Mendez/Getty

Previously, the Grammy winner had limited experience with gummies. "Maybe one time, you know, like two milligrams or something like that," she said, recalling that she "took the other one and laid down, went to sleep."

Later in the night, Reba "felt the bed move" and "looked over" to see her mom needed to use the bathroom. "I threw back the covers — and that’s about as far as I got. And I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I gotta help her. I’m gonna look like a wimp if I don’t,'" she explained. "So, I thought I’m either gonna crawl over the bed or I’m gonna walk around."

She chose to walk around, gave herself some encouragement, slowly moved over to her mom and "finally made it." But that wasn't the most difficult part.

Reba McEntire at NBC Celebrates Fall Comedy held at NBCUniversal on October 09, 2024
Reba McEntire in Los Angeles on Oct. 9, 2024.

Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty

"I said, ‘Are you OK?’ She said, ‘Yeah, I’m fine,’ and then she reached over and said, ‘Can you get me some more ice water?’ And I said, ‘Ice water, OK'" recalled Reba. "So, I held it, and I looked at the door, knowing that’s a long way away — I got the hall and then the kitchen."

At that point, the Tremors star felt herself mentally "fast-forward" to a dark place, as she thought about the headlines that could follow a potential incident: "Reba McEntire found in her mother's kitchen, ice all around."

"I thought, ‘Ain’t no way I’m going that way.’ So, I just turned back to Mom, and I said, ‘Here you go.’ And she took a sip, and she said, ‘Ugh, where’s the ice?’ And I said, ‘We’re out.’ She said, ‘We’re out of ice?’ I said, ‘Yeah,'" she told Fallon, recognizing her own "horrible" behavior.

Host Reba McEntire performs onstage during the 59th Academy of Country Music Awards at The Ford Center at The Star on May 16, 2024 in Frisco, Texas.
Reba McEntire in May 2024.

Jason Kempin/Getty 

After getting Jacqueline back in bed, Reba said, "I crawled over, and I laid down, and I swear there was weeds and flowers growing out of my head."

"So, the next day I ask everybody, ‘How many milligrams were in those things?’" she detailed, adding that she learned each full gummy contained "50" milligrams — presumably of THC, though she didn't specify. "I took 25 milligrams. Gave my mom 25 milligrams. Still took care of Mama!"

Earlier this month, Reba's new sitcom Happy's Place premiered on NBC. The series airs new episodes on Fridays at 8 p.m. EST.

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