Between all the divorces, marriages, and births packed into the first season alone, it can be difficult to keep track of all the branches of the Hart family tree in Reba. Created by Allison M. Gibson, Reba follows country music star Reba McEntire as the titular “single mom who works too hard,” as she sings in the iconic Reba theme song, “I’m a Survivor.” In the pilot episode, Reba’s world is turned upside down when two surprise pregnancies create a major disruption in her already dysfunctional family.
As a family sitcom, the whole main cast of characters on Reba are related to each other either by blood or marriage. Reba introduced viewers to multiple generations of the Hart family from Houston, Texas, some of whom were even born in the show. Throughout the series’ six-season run from 2001-2007, the Hart family’s unconventional dynamics provided endless entertainment and laughs for viewers and are part of the reason the beloved 2000s sitcom still resonates with audiences today.
Played by her namesake, Reba McEntire, Reba Hart is the main character and matriarch of the Hart family at the center of the sitcom. Reba is the ex-wife of Brock Hart, with whom she has three children: Cheyenne, Kyra, and Jake Hart. She is also Van Montgomery’s mother-in-law and Elizabeth Montgomery’s maternal grandmother. Reba often serves as the problem-solver and the glue that keeps the whole Hart family together.
Reba and Brock were already separated when the show began, but their divorce was made final in season 1, episode 14, “The Story of a Divorce.” They share joint custody of their children, but for the majority of the series, Cheyenne, Kyra, and Jake live with Reba. Although she has a few relationships over the course of the sitcom’s six seasons, Reba never remarries after Brock. Her parents, J.V. (Barry Corbin) and Helen (Dorothy Lyman), appear in one episode of season 1 to celebrate their 46th anniversary.
Played by Christopher Rich, Dr. Brock Hart is a dentist and the patriarch of the Hart family in Reba. In the pilot episode, the Harts attend court-mandated family therapy after getting into a dispute during Brock and Reba’s custody hearing for Cheyenne, Kyra, and Jake. During their session, Brock confesses that he got his dental hygienist, Barbra Jean Booker, pregnant. Shortly after his divorce from Reba is finalized, Brock and Barbra Jean get married in season 1, episode 15, “You May Kick the Bride,” and their son, Henry Hart, is born four episodes later.
Brock is also Van Montgomery’s maternal father-in-law (and former assistant football coach) and Elizabeth Montgomery’s maternal grandfather. In season 1, episode 13, “Brock’s Swan Song,” it is revealed that Brock’s father, John D. Hart, died on the golf course while swinging his club at a swan. Brock’s mother, Elizabeth “Liz” Hart (Jenny O’Hara), makes an appearance in one episode of season 2 when she comes to visit the family.
Played by Melissa Peterman, Barbra Jean “B.J.” Booker Hart is the second wife of Brock Hart, whom she worked for as a dental hygienist, and the mother of Henry Hart. Barbra Jean was Brock’s mistress until he told his family he got her pregnant and divorced his wife, Reba. After she and Brock get married, Barbra Jean gives birth to their son, Henry. Barbra Jean and Brock nearly get divorced in season 6, the final season of Reba, but they manage to make up in the last few minutes of the series finale.
Barbra Jean is also the stepmother of Cheyenne, Kyra, and Jake Hart, stepmother-in-law of Van Montgomery, and stepgrandmother of Elizabeth Montgomery. Her father, “Big Daddy” (Dion Anderson), and sister Katie Ann (Rachel York), make an appearance in season 2, episode 9, “Ring-a-Ding,” at their family reunion, but her mother, “Big Momma,” is never shown onscreen. A number of Barbra Jean’s other relatives appear or are mentioned throughout the show, including her brother, Buzzard (Bryan Callen).
Played by JoAnna García Swisher, Cheyenne Hart-Montgomery is Brock and Reba Hart’s eldest daughter and the older sister of Kyra and Jake Hart. Cheyenne is also Barbra Jean Hart’s stepdaughter and Henry Hart’s half-sister. In the pilot episode of Reba, 17-year-old Cheyenne reveals that she is pregnant with her boyfriend Van Montgomery’s child. In the same episode, Van proposes to her and they have a “shotgun wedding.” Cheyenne spends the whole first season pregnant before giving birth to their daughter, Elizabeth Montgomery, on graduation day in the season 1 finale, “It Ain’t Over till the Red-Head Sings.”
Cheyenne gets pregnant again in the final season of Reba, prompting her and Van to finally get their own place. In season 6, episode 8, “As We Forgive Those…”, Cheyenne and Van find out they’re having a boy. However, by the series finale of Reba, Cheyenne had not yet given birth to her and Van’s unnamed son.
Played by Scarlett Pomers, Kyra Hart is the middle child of the central Hart family in Reba. Kyra is Brock and Reba Hart’s second child and Cheyenne and Jake Hart’s sister. Kyra also becomes Van Montgomery’s sister-in-law when he and Cheyenne get married in the pilot episode, and an aunt to Elizabeth Montgomery when she is born in the season 1 finale. Kyra is also Barbra Jean Hart’s stepdaughter and Henry Hart’s half-sister.
Played by Mitch Holleman, Jake Hart is Brock and Reba Hart’s youngest child and their only son together. He is also the younger brother of Cheyenne and Kyra Hart, stepson of Barbra Jean Hart, half-brother of Henry Hart, and brother-in-law of Van Montgomery. When Elizabeth Montgomery is born in the season 1 finale of Reba, Jake becomes an uncle at just seven years old.
Played by Steve Howey, Van Montgomery was Cheyenne Hart’s high school boyfriend when he got her pregnant in senior year. After his parents kick him out of the house in the pilot episode, Van moves in with the Hart family and marries Cheyenne. In the season 1 finale, Van becomes a father when Cheyenne gives birth to their daughter, Elizabeth. The three of them live with the Harts until Cheyenne gets pregnant with their second child in season 6 of Reba, at which point they move out.
Van’s parents make a few appearances in Reba. His mother, Sue Montgomery (Robin Riker), appears in season 1, episode 16, “Vanny Dearest,” during which she briefly moves in with Van and the Hart family. In season 2, Van’s father, Dan Montgomery (Mark Tymchyshyn), appears in the same episode as Brock’s mother, “And the Grammy Goes To…” In the following episode, “The Wall,” Sue and Dan make their final onscreen appearance as they reconcile with Van and start to build a relationship with their granddaughter, Elizabeth.
Born in the season 1 finale of Reba, Elizabeth Montgomery is Cheyenne Montgomery-Hart and Van Montgomery’s firstborn child. She is also Reba and Brock Hart’s first grandchild, as well as Kyra and Jake Hart’s niece, Barbra Jean Hart’s step-granddaughter and Henry Hart’s half-niece. Elizabeth was presumably named after her great-grandmother (Brock’s mother), Elizabeth Hart. As an infant, Elizabeth was played by twins Alena & Gabrielle Leberger from seasons 2-4. In season 5, Lila Braff began playing Elizabeth.
Born in season 1, episode 19, “Labor of Love,” Henry Hart is Brock and Barbra Jean Hart’s son and only child together. This makes Henry Cheyenne, Kyra, and Jake Hart’s half-brother and Van Montgomery’s half-brother-in-law. Although he was born just a few months before her, Henry is technically Elizabeth Montgomery’s half-uncle. Henry was played by twins Alexander and Jackson McClellan from season 2-3 of Reba (as well as his penultimate appearance in season 6, episode 4, “Roll With It”) and by Jon Paul DeFabry in season 5 and his final appearance in season 6, episode 5, “The Break-Up.”