Black Excellence

Love & Marriage: Detroit” returns for an all-new season starting September 7

Love & Marriage Detroit follows a group of African American couples with deep ties to the reemerging city of Detroit.

Published

4 months ago

August 9, 2024

Unheard Voices Staff

Photo Credit: Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN)

Oprah Winfrey Network’s ”Love & Marriage Detroit” is set to return for an all-new season beginning Saturday, September 7 at 9/8c, immediately following the season finale of “Love & Marriage: Huntsville” at 8/7c.

Table of Contents

Love & Marriage Detroit

Following a group of African American couples with deep ties to the reemerging city of Detroit, “Love & Marriage: Detroit” features Russell and Kolby Harris, Brandon and Kristina Bowman Smith, and Anthony and Dr. LaToya Thompson. The couples are determined to thrive in their community and are focused on building the best lives possible for their families.

In an emotional new season, Kristina re-evaluates her marriage to Brandon and restarts her singing career, Kolby and Russell clash over the possibility of having another child, while LaToya struggles to balance her work as a doctor and wine entrepreneur and family as a wife to Anthony. Meanwhile, two new couples, the Dobines and the Samuels, threaten to shake up the group’s dynamics.

Catch up with the Harrises, the Smiths and the Thompsons:

RUSSELL & KOLBY HARRIS

Russell and Kolby Harris have been married for four years and have a young daughter together.

The Harrises (Photo Credit: OWN)

At the beginning of the season, the couple are expecting their second child and Russell is already talking about the possibility of having a third, but Kolby, who only wanted one child, is having trouble getting through to her husband that she may have a different vision of the future. Kolby also feels she carries the burden of being the stricter parent when Russell doesn’t discipline their young daughter. Russell continues to work as a pastor and runs his non-profit, Soar Detroit, which focuses on literacy and sports, all while working to revitalize a newly purchased gym. Kolby is a rising social media influencer, but being pregnant and caring for their two-year-old is taking up most of her energy in recent months.

BRANDON & KRISTINA BOWMAN-SMITH

Brandon and Kristina Bowman-Smith have been married for 12 years and have two young daughters.

The Smiths (Photo Credit: OWN)

When the new season begins, Brandon and Kristina’s marriage is on shaky ground and the couple reveals that they have separated. Kristina, a stylist and influencer in Detroit who has devoted the last decade to raising their children, needs to decide what her life as a single mother looks like. Brandon is the owner of Star Factory, an artist development program, where he trains young people of Detroit with a dream to become singers and recording artists. Many of the couple’s marital woes stem from Brandon’s focus on his profession and the hours spent away from home. After a break-in at the Star Factory, will Brandon and Kristina realize they need each other to pick up the pieces in their business and marriage? Will the couple be able to resolve their differences to keep their family together?

ANTHONY & DR. LATOYA THOMPSON

Anthony and Dr. LaToya Thompson have been married for 15 years and share two sons and a daughter.

The Thompsons (Photo Credit: OWN)

Anthony works for a touring company and owns a production studio. LaToya is still the main breadwinner as a successful physical therapist and the owner of Opulence Wines, but Anthony still doesn’t like to admit this. Despite LaToya’s professional accolades, she is evaluating her work/life balance and struggles with mommy’s guilt. She is also coming to terms with her perfectionism and worries if she is passing this burden on to her children. In the new season, Anthony expands his work with the men’s organization he founded where the goal is for men to have an outlet to discuss relationships and life.

Love & Marriage: Detroit new couples

MARCEL & KIMBERLY DOBINE

Marcel and Kimberly Dobine have been married for 8 years and share two young children.

Kimberly is an event planner, designer and founder of the Posh & Popular brand, while Marcel works in the mortgage industry.

The couple are working on their communication, with Kimberly feeling she needs Marcel to talk through their issues and family dynamics more openly.

They also realize they are in an incredibly hectic chapter in their lives and need to make a better effort to set aside time for just the two of them.

Marcel and Kim are good friends with the Thompsons and are friendly with the Harrises. But Kimberly has a more complicated past with Kristina, with whom she had a friendship several years ago which fizzled away when Kimberly felt Kristina was not a person she could count on. Will Kimberly and Kristina’s fractured friendship create a divide in the friend group?

BRAVO & LAKEITA SAMUELS

First introduced in season one with a larger presence in the new season, Bravo and Lakeita Samuels are high school sweethearts who have been together for 20 years and married for six. Together, they have two daughters.

As a social service manager and managing their home, Lakeita wishes Bravo was more present in their household. Bravo is a successful hospitality entrepreneur who owns several clubs and restaurants around Detroit, but Lakeita is struggling over Bravo’s frequent late nights. Bravo just wants Lakeita to understand that he is working so hard to build their family legacy and secure their financial security.