Carlos King is defending his decision to bring Arionne Curry onto Love & Marriage: Huntsville, saying he deliberately waited until Melody Shari was off the show.
The executive producer addressed the controversial Season 12 casting during a recent appearance on The Tamron Hall Show, explaining that he never wanted Shari to be forced into an on-camera confrontation with the woman who had an affair with her then-husband, Martell Holt.
“I made the executive decision to never bring Arionne on while Melody was there,” said King.
Carlos King is addressing a casting decision that has Love & Marriage: Huntsville fans talking. #TamronHallShow #TamFam #CarlosKing #LoveAndMarriageHuntsville pic.twitter.com/7xsISzcciN
— Tamron Hall Show (@TamronHallShow) September 16, 2026
Curry’s longtime relationship with Holt became a major storyline on the OWN series after their affair was exposed. Holt and Shari ultimately divorced in 2021, and Curry later had a child with Holt. Still, King said he made a conscious choice to keep Curry off the show while Shari remained part of the cast.
“I did not want Melody to ever face the woman that her husband had the affair with on the show,” he explained. “Whether it happens in real life, that’s fine. And I am proud to say that for nine years, that never happened.”
Shari left Love & Marriage: Huntsville in 2025.
King added that Curry’s place in Holt’s life eventually made her absence harder to ignore, particularly as their relationship continued to evolve.
Her addition to Season 12 quickly sparked criticism from some longtime viewers, but King insists that the timing was key and that he handled the situation with sensitivity.