Does Reba McEntire Wear Hearing Aids? What We Know About The Rumors

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Oddly enough, Reba McEntire has found herself at the center of more than a few baseless rumors throughout her career. More specifically, whispers about Reba McEntire's health have run rampant for years. One of the latest (and most absurd) bits of gossip about the country star suggested McEntire secretly wears hearing aids. Some versions of this rumor went as far as to say she might even be deaf. However, there doesn't appear to be any truth to the claim that Reba McEntire is deaf or uses hearing aids. 

Although the new judge on "The Voice" has never spoken publicly about her hearing, there are a couple of possible explanations behind this rumor. For one, most musicians wear earpieces so that they can keep time and stay in rhythm over the sound of roaring crowds. They look an awful lot like hearing aids, and, in a way, they do aid in hearing. That said, it's not because the singer has hearing loss — it is simply a staple of modern performances. Beyond this, there's also the fact that McEntire frequently works with the Starkey Hearing Foundation, an organization that helps those who are hard of hearing, have hearing loss, or need hearing aids around the world.

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Despite the rumors about her using hearing aids, the truth about Reba McEntire is that she's in good health and shows no obvious signs of hearing loss. She hasn't addressed the hearing aid rumor yet, and, at this point, she probably never will. She typically ignores rumors about her career or personal life — unless they're one of those weird ones about untimely deaths. Back in 2012, a bizarre story spread online claiming McEntire had fallen to her death while filming a movie in Austria. 

She took the rumor in stride, joking in a since-deleted tweet, "While I would love to be shooting a movie in Austria, I definitely did not fall off a mountain! Nor am I dead! I am alive and kicking!!!" (via Us Weekly). Like the death hoax or her made-up feud with Taylor Swift, the rumor about McEntire's hearing is likely another falsehood that most modern celebrities in the digital age have come to expect. Even so, there's no doubt that, even if she did face hearing troubles, it wouldn't stop McEntire from being as vibrant and talented as ever.