OWN’S HIT “LOVE & MARRIAGE” FRANCHISE HEADS TO DETROIT SUMMER 2023

Kathleen Finch, Chairman, and Chief Content Officer, US Networks Group, Warner Bros., announced today that Detroit will be the next city to join the Love and Marriage family.

Discovery, at the company’s 2023 Upfront in New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Carlos King, CEO of Kingdom Reign Entertainment and renowned reality producer and Detroit native, brings the series to OWN.

The season will feature a new group of dynamic Black community members and leaders, this time from “Comeback City,” formerly known as “Motor City.”

“Love & Marriage: Detroit,” the third city to join the Love & Marriage series franchise after Huntsville and Washington D.C., will premiere on OWN on June 24 at 9 pm ET/PT, following a new episode of “Love & Marriage: Huntsville” at 8 pm ET/PT.

Detroit is growing, and so are its people. It is a city with a strong Black culture. This resurrected city values family, friendship, business, excellence, and, of course, love and marriage.

“Love & Marriage: Detroit” will focus on a group of African American families with deep ties to Detroit who have decided to stay in the city and prove to their families that they can provide the best lives possible in this community on the rise.

The series will star Russell and Kolby Harris, Brandon and Kristina Bowman Smith, and Anthony and Dr. LaToya Thompson.

In the first season, secrets and past deeds haunt the couples, exposing relationship cracks and confronting issues such as faith, resentment, and broken lines of communication.

Meet the couples from “Love & Marriage: Detroit”:

The Harrises

Russel and Kolby Harris

Russell and Kolby Harris are a young couple who have been married for three years and share a two-year-old daughter. Because he considers himself head of household, Russell makes the decision to start attending divinity school before even consulting with his wife, and Kolby is feeling she should be included more in these important family decisions. She is the daughter of a pastor and isn’t sure she wants to revisit that world for a second time as an adult.

Russell also runs a non-profit called Soar Detroit which focuses on literacy and sports. Kolby is a rising social media influencer, which causes a rift with some of the more established influencers in the group. Kristina and Kolby are like sisters and both are in the social media influencer space. However, the friends become at odds when an opportunity for collaboration presents itself and Kristina is apprehensive about joining forces. This leads the two to have a disagreement that affects their husbands who are also friends.

The Smiths

Brandon and Kristina Bowman-Smith

Brandon and Kristina Bowman-Smith have been married for 11 years and have two young daughters. The couple resides in a penthouse that overlooks Detroit. Kristina is a well-known fashion designer, stylist, and influencer in Detroit, and 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.

The couple is going through marital woes with Brandon’s desire to become the Barry Gordy of 2023 with his showcase highlighting Detroit’s musical talent. But Kristina is strong in her faith and not always pleased when Brandon must go out to the clubs for his talent development business, which has been causing tension between them since they got married. Brandon is also holding a secret he doesn’t share with his wife, that he is working with a few new female artists in Detroit, but when Kristina finds this out…all hell breaks loose.

The Thompsons

Anthony and Dr. LaToya Thompson,

Anthony and Dr. LaToya Thompson have been married for 14 years and share two sons. Currently, Anthony works for the touring company Live Nation and is the owner of a production studio. In this household, LaToya is the breadwinner as a successful sports physical therapist and the owner of Opulence Wines, but you will never hear Anthony admit that. In fact, when Anthony was offered a production gig in Atlanta, he accepted the job and temporarily moved to Atlanta against his wife’s wishes, eventually returning to Detroit once LaToya put her foot down.

Anthony also started a men’s organization where the goal is for men to have an outlet to discuss the root of the issue affecting men in relationships and life. He even puts together a Man’s Movement March in the city of Detroit and invites “Love & Marriage: Huntsville” star (and Michigan native) Marsau Scott to be a guest speaker.

Meanwhile, LaToya is struggling as a Black wine owner in a predominantly white business and disagrees with her husband who intimates he helped build the company.

Carlos King, a renowned reality TV producer, created “Love & Marriage: Detroit,” which is produced by Kingdom Reign Entertainment and executive produced by King, Angela Dugan, Brent Nisbett, and Tarin Laughlin.

About The Author

Talia M.

See author's posts