‘Love & Marriage: Huntsville’: Melody Says Martell’s Contradictory Behavior Made Her Want to Quit the Show
Going through a divorce on reality television is no easy feat, and Melody Shari of Love & Marriage: Huntsville can testify to that. Her split with Martell has played out, on and off, over the past four seasons. Things have gotten so bad between them that she even considered stepping away from the show.
Melody says Martell’s behavior on the show is contradictory to how he acts off camera
After years of forgiving Martell for his ongoing infidelity and trying to repair their marriage, Melody filed for divorce in 2020. At the time, Martell’s longtime mistress was pregnant with his child. Their divorce was finalized a year later. But the couple shares four minor children who they have to co-parent and film the show together.
Their split has been nasty, equipped with a custody battle, damaging allegations, and more. But on the Season 5 premiere, viewers watched as Martell tries to be cordial and establish a cordial and communicative relationship with Melody. But she’s not receptive. She explained in an interview on Carlos King’s Reality WIth the King podcast that the reason she doesn’t trust building any form of relationship with Martell outside of co-parenting is due to his contradictory behavior on and off camera. She told King:
Sometimes, when you give people an inch, they’ll take a mile. I feel like I’m dealing with my children’s father, who is missing reality TV and reality. So I find myself trying to walk a line that, as narrow as possible and to not confuse it. Just because we are here filming together, and I can speak to you…and keep it moving…doesn’t mean [he has a chance]. It makes it tough. Dealing with just the imbalance of it all…he’s doing things that are constantly trying to break me and tear me down behind the scenes, and that’s the inability to separate reality TV from reality. But I see it all. So when people who don’t see it all, don’t hear it all, don’t know it all – whenever they try to say, ‘Well Melody, you should be nicer, or shouldn’t do this or you shouldn’t have boundaries that are like this,’ you don’t know. So leave me alone because I do know.
The ‘Love & Marriage: Huntsville’ star says she’s considered quitting the show because of Martell
It’s been two years since their divorce was finalized. Outside of filming and exchanging their four children, the former couple has no communication. Martell doesn’t even have Melody’s phone number. And their custody battle is ongoing, as Martell is seeking primary custody of their children because he doesn’t agree with the babysitters Melody uses.
With so much drama, Melody admits it’s difficult to stay intact. She’s considered quitting the show due to her issues with her ex.
“To be real with you, that has been one of the things Carlos, that at times, has made me want to walk away. It can become a lot. And the fact of the matter is, I do have four children with this person. And I’m having time when I’m showing up to work for Kingdom Reign and the Oprah Winfrey Network, and they’re constantly doing things for show and for TV, but it’s real life. It’s tough,” she explained.
What Season 5 of the OWN series will show for Melody and Martell
While Melody and Martell continue to try and navigate life as co-parents post-divorce, this season appears milder than the previous three seasons have been. The trailer shows both of them working on their separate business ventures and Martell trying to figure out his new relationship with RHOA star Sheree Whitfield. Their friendships with the other cast members are also explored.
