Shoniqua Shandai and Dave Z Martin are joining the sophomore season of BET’s hit dramedy Diarra From Detroit, created by and starring Diarra Kilpatrick.
Season 1 followed Diarra, a divorcing schoolteacher who refuses to believe she’s been ghosted by her rebound Tinder date. Her relentless search pulls her into a decades-old mystery tied to Detroit’s criminal underworld. Along the way, she rallies an unlikely crew of co-workers, friends, and lovers to help her navigate danger, secrets, and unexpected twists.
Returning for Season 2 alongside Kilpatrick are Bryan Terrell Clark, DomiNque Perry, and Jon Chaffin.
Shandai will take on the recurring role of Raqueeba, Diarra’s sharp-tongued and opinionated cousin. Martin will play Booker, a street-smart criminal whose path inevitably crosses with Diarra’s.
Diarra From Detroit is coming off a strong first season that aired on BET earlier this year, ranking as the No. 1 new cable series among Black viewers year-to-date and dominating key demos, including Black adults 18-49 and 25-54. Among all scripted cable series, it finished second overall with Black audiences in those same demos—just behind BET’s own Tyler Perry’s Sistas.
The series is produced by BET Studios and Khalabo Ink Society, with Kilpatrick, Kenya Barris, and Miles Orion Feldsott serving as executive producers.
Shandai, best known for her scene-stealing turn as Angie on Prime Video’s Harlem, recently wrapped the show’s third and final season. Her credits also include TNT’s I Am the Night, Paramount TV’s Nobodies, and the Eminem-produced film Bodied.
Martin’s recent work includes recurring roles on FX/Hulu’s English Teacher and Peacock’s upcoming limited series The Good Daughter.