What up doe?!
A Comeback City duo is dishing to BOSSIP about Love & Marriage: Detroit’s explosive second season, the evolving dynamics between the cast, and the significance of showcasing the true ups and downs of marriage.
Source: Love & Marriage Detroit / OWN
Brandon and Kristina Bowman-Smith are all about keeping the real in reality TV and in season two of the Carlos-King-produced OWN show, they’re once again doing exactly that. A trailer for the new season that returns this Saturday, September 7 at 9/8c, showcased the difficulties in their coupledom, truly playing into one of the franchise’s hallmarks.
Love & Marriage: Detroit is known for its commitment to portraying authentic relationships and the Smiths don’t shy away from showing their struggles, no matter how difficult it might be to watch.
“Nobody wants to see a fake marriage on TV,” said Kristina to BOSSIP’s Managing Editor Dani Canada. “Everybody’s going through the same stuff, so why hide it?”
Brandon added that they’ve received positive feedback from viewers who could relate to their real-life challenges.
“We get people coming up to us all the time telling us how they relate to us, and that’s what this is all about.”
Source: Love & Marriage Detroit / OWN
Reflecting on the new season, Kristina admitted to feeling much more confident compared to season one.
“I don’t have any nerves this time,” she shared. “I’m here for everything. Bring it. Let’s go. I’m so ready.” Brandon echoed similar sentiments, saying that the couple was mentally prepared for what season two had in store. “It was a lot smoother this time because we knew what to expect… We’re ready for everything that’s coming, good and bad.”
Faith has been a cornerstone of the Smiths’ marriage, especially during tough times, and it’s something they told BOSSIP remains integral.
“When you’re at odds with your spouse, you have no choice but to go to God,” Kristina explained. “He is our source in our marriage.” Brandon agreed, noting that their reliance on faith has been vital to getting through the rough patches both in their marriage and during filming.
Brandon And Kristina Bowman-Smith Talk Love & Marriage Detroit Cast Dynamics
As for the relationships within the Love & Marriage: Detroit friend group, the reunion at the end of season one left a lasting impact. While things seemed amicable at the time, the airing of the show resurfaced old tensions, especially between Kristina and Kolby.
Brandon Smith, Kristina Bowman-Smith, Kolby Harris/ Source: Love & Marriage Detroit / OWN
“We left the reunion hugging it out,” said Kristina to BOSSIP. “But as soon as the show aired and we heard what people really said, old emotions came back.”
Kristina added however that she’s hopeful that she and her former friend can get on the same page.
“I love Kolby dearly,” said Kristina. “She’ll always have a place in my heart. I think that both of us have to genuinely want to reconcile the relationship, the friendship. I think that both of us would have to really give it a fair chance without all the other voices. And then I think it’ll take a lot of trust.”
Kolby and Russell Harris/ Source: Love & Marriage: Detroit / OWN
She continued,
“So I’m not saying that it’s impossible. We may have made some progress on season two, I guess you’ll have to see. But I think, again, if we both want it bad enough, I think that it is definitely worth pulling back together. We both have children. Kolby just had another baby. We played a role in each other’s kids’ lives, and we’ve always gone on date nights together. So we definitely have made an impact on each other’s lives. I think it’s worth it if we both want it. I think it could happen.”
Brandon agreed, noting that the emotions were heightened due to the newness of the experience. “It made sense because we were in our first season and didn’t really know how it operates.”
Now that Brandon does know how things operate with Love & Marriage Detroit, BOSSIP asked him if he’d be joining cast member Anthony’s “Man’s Movement” to which he said a resounding “no.”
Anthony and Dr. LaToya Thompson/ Source: Love & Marriage: Detroit / OWN
“No, I will never join the man’s movement until I fully understand what it is,” said Brandon. “I feel like I speak for a lot of people when I say I still have no clue what that is. Anthony, he kind of exaggerated our friendship from the jump. Me and Anthony have always been cool, but we never were hangout buddies. We just were really cool. We’ve been cool for a long time. And so once his antics in season one affected my real life in a multitude of ways, I was just like now going into season two, I’m really dealing with Anthony from afar.
He continued,
“I just don’t really have full trust that he genuinely has my back, or he genuinely is a friend. So our relationship definitely matured in season two, so we got to see how that kind of plays out.”
Hit the flip for more.
Brandon And Kristina Bowman-Smith Talk #LAMDT Couples Keita & Bravo And Marcel & Kimberly Dobine
When it comes to the other cast members, the couple is excited about viewers seeing more of Keita and Bravo…
and Kristina praised Keita for stepping more into the spotlight this season.
“I love Keita and Bravo. They were original cast members, so they just fit. I’m excited for the world to see more of Keita, especially as a wife, mother, and friend.”
Brandon pointed out that Keita and Bravo bring a different dynamic to the show, especially because Keita gives Bravo more freedom than Kristina does with him, which sparked a playful exchange between the couple.
“All I know is Keita and Kristina are very different,” said Brandon while Kristina looked on. “If they switched husbands, ‘Oh my God,’ Bravo would not be in the industry that he’s currently in. That’s all I’m going to say.”
As for the Dobines; Marcel And Kimberly, Kristina revealed that she and Kimberly have a history, which adds an extra layer of tension to the season.
New couple, same Detroit drama 🤗 Say hello to the Dobines 👋🏽 and catch their big debut during the #LAMDT season premiere, this Saturday at 9/8c 🍿 pic.twitter.com/7pqXKfPu8l
— Oprah Winfrey Network (@OWNTV) September 3, 2024
“We used to be close, but there was a falling away many moons ago. It’s going to get juicy this season,” said Kristina. “So it was like surprise, surprise, when they popped up and I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s how y’all playing, right? You guys are going to see a lot. It gets juicy. Juicy down to the nitty gritty.”
She continued,
“I think that they’re a great addition regardless of where our relationship is. I think that it’s the extra spice, sugar and spice, I would say that the show needed, that the cast needed. So I appreciate the addition. I appreciate the Dobines coming into the franchise.”
Despite the drama that will happen this season, Brandon and Kristina are most excited to continue working with the Samuels (Keita and Bravo), who they continue to have a close bond with.
“The Harrises (Kolby and Russell) were our friend couple but that was dead,” said Brandon. “Kolby made a decision to cut that clean off so I wasn’t expecting to hang with them that much in season two. Bravo has always been my guy. The Thompsons (Anthony and Dr. LaToya)? Yeah–nah. I respect them for what they do but it’s just something about them Smiths and them Thompsons they just don’t always…”
“You’ll see a lot of Smith/Samuels dynamic going on,” added Kristina.
Brandon And Kristina Bowman-Smith Say They’re Excited For Fans To See #LAMDT Season Two
Looking ahead, Kristina is particularly proud of how much the entire cast stepped up in season two.
“Everybody came into their own this season. There’s a new level of confidence from everyone, and I’m proud of that.”
Brandon who’s also eager to show off more of the Star Factory in the upcoming episodes, agreed.
“Our storyline definitely doesn’t disappoint just like season one,” he said. “So we definitely have brought a lot to season two. As far as the guys, I feel like we just were so exhausted from beefing with each other on season one that we kind of handed the baton to the women and then we got the new couple who are full-time sprinters when it comes to this drama.”
As the Smiths brace for another dramatic and emotional season, they remain grounded in their marriage and faith. And while the cast may not always get along, Kristina sums it up perfectly;
“Regardless of our relationships, I’m proud that everybody showed up so strong this season. It’s a really good season.”
Watch our exclusive with Brandon and Kristina Bowman-Smith!
Love & Marriage Detroit returns TOMORROW, Saturday, September 7 at 9/7 C.
Detroit and Huntsville got us seeing double 🤭 Tune in on Saturday for the season finale of #LAMH at 8/7c back-to-back with the new season premiere of #LAMDT at 9/8c 👯♀️ pic.twitter.com/4PN3b1CVej
— Oprah Winfrey Network (@OWNTV) September 3, 2024