Purposely Postponed: Carlos King Defends Bringing Martell’s Mistress Arionne Curry To #LAMH 2 Years After Melody Shari’s Exit—‘This Is The Reality’

Love & Marriage: Huntsville fans were thrown for a loop when Arionne Curry, the former multi-year mistress-turned-girlfriend of Martell Holt, was revealed as a cast member for Season 12 of the hit OWN reality TV show. And, as expected, the internet had plenty to say, but Carlos King is defending the controversial casting choice, noting that he deliberately held off on bringing Curry into the fold until two years after Melody Shari’s exit, and nine years after her affair with the then-married Martell was first publicly exposed.

Some viewers called the casting choice “distasteful,” considering Curry was at the center of the cheating scandal that ultimately contributed to the 2021 divorce of Holt and former Love & Marriage: Huntsville star Melody Shari. Of course, their messy marriage had already been playing out on television for nine seasons, so the drama was hardly a new development. Now, the show’s executive producer is speaking out.

Here’s what Carlos King had to say about Arionne Curry’s casting.

During an appearance on The Tamron Hall Show on Sept. 16, King explained that Curry’s casting was never intended to hurt Melody, who left Love & Marriage: Huntsville in 2025 to protect her “emotional health,” according to her 2025 interview with Ebony.

“So, Melody left the show two years ago. For the first nine seasons of her being on the show, this affair was a topic of conversation, season 1, episode one, and has been continuing since she left. I made the executive decision to never bring Arionne on while Melody was there,” King explained.

“This is the reality, but I did not want Melody to ever face the woman that her husband had the affair with on the show. Whether it happens in real life, that’s fine. And I am proud to say that for nine years, that never happened,” he explained.

However, King said that once he realized Holt would be developing a relationship with Arionne — particularly given the relationship and child they share — he knew avoiding her involvement in Martell’s life on the show would eventually become impossible.

“It’s been two years since Melody left the show. And this is not only Martell’s girlfriend, this is the mother of a child they share,” he continued.“So after 2 years of Melody being off the show, this is Martell’s reality. So I understand the emotional reaction to it. This is the mother of his child for the rest of their lives.”

When Hall asked Carlos how he made the decision despite being “close” to Melody, he explained that he waited two years after her departure before bringing Arionne into the cast — and that the timing also coincided with Martell publicly acknowledging their relationship.

The backstory.

From a reality-TV standpoint, it’s easy to see why producers may have wanted to avoid putting Melody and Arionne in the same room. That potential face-off could have been, well… a lot.

For those who may be new to the Love & Marriage: Huntsville drama, Martell was previously married to his co-star, Melody Shari, before a bombshell cheating scandal — in which Arionne was the other woman — contributed to the couple’s split.

During his affair with Arionne, Martell welcomed a child with her, adding more controversy into the mix.

Although Martell and Arionne have seemingly been together for a few years, his decision to officially introduce her on the show still caught many viewers off guard. And his conversations about marriage? That raised even more eyebrows.

But when it comes to the Love & Marriage: Huntsville cast, the casting decision apparently wasn’t quite the shocker it was for viewers. Read more after the flip.