Over the years, "Storage Wars" has had plenty of memorable characters. Those characters and their interactions are what make the show so addicting to watch. Paired with the program's signature brand of self-awareness, they make it unlike any other "reality" show on TV. So, when a character simply disappears from the show, fans take notice, which is what happened when bidder Brandi Passante suddenly departed ways with the program. She and her partner were fan favorites, so her departure sparked rumors as to what really happened.
Brandi Passante Never Sought Out Fame
Brandi Passante was originally from Harris, Texas, which is a long way from the studios of Hollywood, California. Although she tried to keep her private and public lives separate, even before her departure from "Storage Wars," we do know that she had dreams of becoming a chef before her stardom. However, things changed after she relocated to California, where she would eventually end up being picked up by the A and E network.
After her boyfriend, Jarrod Schulz, was picked to be on the show, it wasn't long before the producers, as well as Jarrod's mother, encouraged her to join him at the auctions.
Brandi Was Dissatisfied As A Stay-At-Home Mom
In a show filled with big personalities, Brandi was one of the more relatable members of "Storage Wars." That was part of her charm and why so many fans loved her. Her down-to-earth demeanor may have been due to her background. Before the show, Brandi spent a lot of time as a stay-at-home mom. However, after a number of years of putting her career on the back burner, she found herself dissatisfied.
She has said that she even eventually began to feel depressed after a while, which prompted her to return to work and find another sense of purpose. She also credits her work with helping her become a better mother.
Relying On Family For Childcare Wasn't An Option
While Brandi knew that she wanted to return to work, she and her boyfriend still needed to figure out who was going to take care of the kids while they were away. This was complicated by the fact that they weren't going to be able to rely on family since they had just packed up and moved out to California. Instead, the couple turned to friends and neighbors from their new home.
They were lucky enough to find friends and neighbors that they trusted until they could afford proper childcare, which wouldn't be long since they were about to land a spot on "Storage Wars."
The Couple Started Out With A Small Thrift Store
While they would get their big break on "Storage Wars," that wasn't actually the first job they had after moving to California. Brandi initially worked as a carpet cleaner for a bit before the two decided to open their own thrift store in California. Of course, this would end up being a great fit for their future role on the show as you need a place to sell all of that stuff you find inside storage lockers.
The store was named "Now and Then." Unfortunately, fans of the couple aren't able to visit the store anymore, as it has since closed. However, it was open throughout their time on the show.
Someone Spread Rumors That Brandi Worked In Adult Films
When you're a popular character on a reality T.V. show, there's bound to be some rumors that pop up about you. Brandi was no different. It wasn't long after her appearance on "Storage Wars" that people started saying that she'd spent time as an adult entertainer before appearing on the show. At the time, Brandi was already finding it difficult to deal with public life after stardom, so the rumors definitely didn't help.
She quickly put the rumors to rest, but it's hard to imagine that they didn't have an effect on the way she viewed her time in the spotlight and being on a reality T.V. show.
The Brandi And Hunter Moore Saga
As if the rumors about Brandi starring in an adult film weren't bad enough, she quickly found herself entangled in a feud with a man named Hunter Moore who'd alleged he'd made an adult film starring Brandi. If you've never heard of Moore, he was once labeled as "the most hated man on the internet" by Rolling Stone. Brandi filed a defamation lawsuit against Moore and ended up winning.
In addition to his saga with Brandi, Hunter was also sued by other women for hacking into their computers, stealing nude photos, and then posting them on the internet.
The Judge's Ruling On The Case
Brandi ended up suing Hunter for around $2.5 million for using her likeness and then basically spreading lies about her being in the video. She ended up winning her case, but the judge ruled that Brandi had “a lack of evidentiary support" in relation to the amount of damages she was asking for. She was awarded $750 in the end, which was about enough to pay for her legal fees in the case.
That said, the entire episode did probably contribute to Hunter's website being taken down later on, which is a win in and of itself. Hunter and some of his associates would later be arrested for hacking into women's computers.
Brandi Hopes Her Children Choose A Different Path
Anyone who's ever worked in the antiques or resell business will tell you that it's hard to turn a profit. That might be why Brandi has publicly said that she hopes her children stay out of business and pursue something else. This certainly played out on the show as huge wins were far and few between for pretty much every bidder on "Storage Wars." More times than not, the containers were filled with low-quality items.
After all, when people have high-value items, they usually don't store them in a storage locker and then fail to pay the rent on said storage locker.
Jarrod Initially Landed The 'Storage Wars' Gig
It might be hard to imagine "Storage Wars" without Brandi Passante now, but it turns out that her time on the show was the result of pure chance. In fact, the same can be said for Jarrod. His aunt just happened to invite him to an auction at her storage facility one time, knowing that he needed a way to make some money since he was out of work, and the crew from the show just happened to be there.
Apparently, Jarrod met some people from the crew, and they signed him up to be on the show. It all just happened to fall into place when the couple needed it to most.
Brandi Was An Instant Hit With The Producers
Brandi wasn't at the auction when the crew met Jarrod and signed him up for the show, so she still wasn't a part of "Storage Wars" at this point. However, the producers did plan on spotlighting the couple's shop during their first episode, so they went there to shoot some scenes, which is when they met Brandi for the first time. When asked if they could include Brandi in some of the scenes, he asked if they thought that she “she wore that dress for nothing!”
The producers thought that she'd make a great addition to the show and it turned out that they were right. She was a natural, which was apparent from the first day of shooting at the thrift shop.
The Couple Never Tied The Knot
Brandi and Jarrod originally met in 1999 and ended up being together for around 20 years. However, despite all of this time, the two never officially got married. Of course, that doesn't change the fact that the two had great chemistry together, which was apparent to anybody who watched the show. They could often be seen celebrating, fighting, and everything in between as they bid against others for storage lockers.
Jarrod finally took the leap during the couple's spinoff show and proposed to Brandi. She said yes and even went as far as to go shopping for a dress, but things would soon take a turn.
The Pair Landed Their Own Spin-Off Show
If you needed any proof as to how popular and beloved Brandi and Jarrod were, look no further than their spin-off. After their time with "Storage Wars" ended, the couple was given their own show called "Brandi and Jarrod: Married to the Job." Fans got to see the duo as they navigated all the struggles of working together and raising children. The show documented the good times, as well as the bad.
However, there was still one big problem. While Brandi looked like a natural on camera, she still didn't enjoy all of the other things that came with being a star.
The Couple Take A Break From 'Storage Wars'
It was no secret that Brandi tried immensely hard to keep her private life separate from her public life during her time with "Storage Wars." That was until the spin-off, when her private life basically became public due to the show. Not long after the couple began working on their spin-off, they announced that they'd be taking a break from bidding on "Storage Wars." It just seemed like doing both was getting to be a little too much.
For whatever reason, they seemed to find a bit of normalcy in returning to their normal routine of taking care of the kids and running their thrift store together, despite it all being filmed.
Jarrod's Past Run-Ins With The Law
Almost everybody has a past, and that includes the people who appear in some of your favorite movies and shows. The same was true of Jarrod, who'd had a couple of run-ins with the law before he met Brandi. The star was arrested in 1997 for driving under the influence, carrying a controlled substance, and transporting an illegal substance. Jarrod ended up serving around 16 months in jail at the time.
This was right before he and Brandi met back in 1999, but obviously, it wasn't long after their appearance on "Storage Wars" that people started digging up Jarrod's past.
The Couple Splits Up
When you're a fan of a couple, whether that's a celebrity couple or a couple who are close friends, the breakup can be hard. So, when Brandi and Jarrod decided to call it quits in 2018, the news came as a shock to a lot of people. While they bickered pretty often on screen, that bickering just seemed like anything else you'd see in a typical marriage. The reason for their split was never made public.
However, they did take the time at the beginning of season 13 of "Storage Wars," back in 2021, to announce that they'd decided it was time to separate.
Some Think The Show Affected Their Marriage
By 2021, fans had been treated to years of seeing Brandi and Jarrod through all of their highs and lows. Part of the couple's appeal was probably that they actually seemed like a real couple, which means that they didn't hold back when the other did something that annoyed them. Brandi was often caught rolling her eyes at Jarrod when the two were bidding on a storage container she thought was bad.
Whether their breakup truly had anything to do with the show or not is an answer only they know. However, it's a safe bet to say that constantly working together can take a toll on a relationship.
Brandi Said She Lacked An Identity While With Jarrod
Even though the couple invited fans into their homes during their spin-off, there was obviously more going on than was shown on T.V. After the couple announced their breakup in 2021, Brandi sat down for an interview with Spirit Talk. During the interview, she said that she felt like she didn't have an identity during her time with Jarrod. She added that she felt she was “coming into my own and figuring out who I am,” after the split.
The comments certainly could've been a reference to the couple's time on the show, but some fans thought Brandi might've also been talking about their time outside of the show.
Brandi After Her Split With Jarrod
While the couple had announced their split during the airing of season 13, it turned out that they'd actually seperated at the end of season 12. That left a lot of people wondering if other love interests were in the picture by the time Brandi had her interview with Spirit Talk. After all, it turned out that a lot of time had passed since the couple had actually gone their seperate ways.
However, at least for Brandi, that wasn't the case. She said that she was “just going with the flow right now.” She made it clear that she just wanted to take some time for herself for a while during her interview.
Brandi Had To Call The Cops On Jarrod
While the couple split up in 2018, they did have one pretty memorable encounter after they broke up in 2021. Reportedly, they were both at the same bar one night in California when an argument broke out between them. Jarrod allegedly got so mad that he started yelling and shoved Brandi a couple of times. The police were called to the bar, but that's about as many details as we know.
And while the whole argument and fight might seem a little wild, things were about to get even weirder due to what happened next that night after the cops showed up.
Jarrod Denied That He Shoved And Yelled At Brandi
After the police arrived at the bar that night, they started to prepare to file a report, which is pretty normal operating procedure. However, one of the key people in the fight turned out to be long gone. Jarrod had left the bar before the cops got there. Not only that, but it actually took them a couple of days to find him and ask him his side of the story.
When he told them his side, he reportedly denied having raised his voice or shoved Brandi that night at the bar. This meant that the police had to start an investigation.
The Cops Eventually Caught Up To Jarrod
While it took a couple of days, the cops did eventually catch up with Jarrod, and not long after that, they ended up charging him with domestic violence. Jarrod still maintained his innocence, and the case still hasn't gone to court. That's because all of this happened right before the pandemic, meaning that the courts were forced to put a lot of cases on hold, and this was one such case.
Things have largely returned to normal, but there's still a pretty big backlog the courts are working through. Neither Jarrod nor Brandi have said anything publicly about the case.
Brandi Works With A Lot Of Domestic Violence Charities
It turns out that Brandi has done a lot of work in the past related to domestic violence. She reportedly works with several different domestic violence charities and even helped raise around $100,000 for one in 2019. As you might expect, all of this charity work has led some to ask if she was, at one point in time, a victim of domestic violence herself. She once said that she's “experienced some things in my life.”
However, to be fair, that statement could mean a couple of different things, and it's unlikely fans will ever know for sure if Brandi was a victim herself at one point.
Brandi Saw A Therapist After Her Breakup
During her interview with Spirit Talk, Brandi explained that she had gone and seen a therapist after her breakup with Jarrod. She added that she just didn't feel like she could feel anything after everything was said and done. She also said that to combat this feeling, her therapist told her not to refer to herself as emotionless and instead think of it as being “just closed off for a little bit, but it’ll come back to you.”
According to Brandi, the therapy helped her identify red flags in people and how to quickly get out if something just feels off about a relationship or not right about a relationship.
She No Longer Shares Updates On Her Children Online
Throughout her time on "Storage Wars," Brandi always tried to keep her personal and public lives separate. However, she would still share photos and updates about her children on social media. This all changed recently. She's said that at one point "creepy" men started harassing them online after she would post photos of them on her profile. It wasn't long after this that she also updated fans on life as a single mom.
During an interview with Dad Diary, she opened up a bit about life when she was with Jarrod now being a single mother, when she said “I did a lot of it on my own anyway.”
Brandi Had Some Fun After Her Split
It's pretty clear that Brandi took some time for herself after her breakup with Jarrod. She made it a priority to see a therapist and figure out exactly who she was. This also meant that she cleared up some space on her calendar to have a bit of fun with friends. Before the pandemic, she often shared stories of her having drinks with friends. Of course, things slowed down during the pandemic.
However, she was apparently quite the social butterfly as she, Nascar driver Kyle Busch, and his wife Samantha, were seen enjoying their time out together and watching the UFC fights
Raising Two Teens After A Separation
Raising two children is already hard enough, but raising two children gets especially hard if they happen to be teenagers and you're doing it alone. That's exactly the situation Brandi found herself in. During one interview, she said that she thought things might've been easier if the girls were younger and that their turning into teenagers had made the entire dynamic even harder to figure out after her separation with Jarrod.
However, Brandi's children seem to be doing just fine, and they both told the Inquirer about their future plans, which include being a director or producer and working in professional cheerleading.
The Show Took Its Toll On Brandi
It didn't take long for Brandi to find fame after "Storage Wars" aired. Fans loved her. She seemed incredibly natural on the show. However, she has spoken about how all of the long hours working on filming and bidding on storage lockers took its toll on her. During an interview with Dad Diary, she said that “It was overwhelming” and she barely had any time to spend at home with her children.
That may have been one of the reasons it seems like she enjoyed the spin-off she and Jarrod had a bit more, which she said gave her a bit more time at home.
'Storage Wars' Was Left For Dead After Season 12
At its peak, "Storage Wars" was one of the most popular shows on A and E. However, by 2018, the show had been running for a while, and many of the characters fans had started out with had departed. There was also a notable lack of huge hauls, and it was missing some of the signature drama that had made it so captivating when it first aired years ago.
Not to mention, rumors that the show was faked began to surface, which damaged its reputation. So, when season 12 ended in 2019, many felt that it was the show's last.
The Show Returns, With A Separated Jarrod And Brandi
Fortunately, it turned out that the show wasn't done just yet, and the network announced a new season slated for 2021. This was after a couple of years of fans having no news at all about the show. Then, they suddenly learned that not only would it be returning but that it'd be coming back with a lot of the people who had made it so special when it first aired, including Brandi and Jarrod.
Of course, at the beginning of the new season, the two announced that they'd split up, which meant that they were now returning to bid separately and not as a couple.
Things Were Tense During The Show
While it's clear not everything was rosy between Brandi and Jarrod, not many were prepared for the entirely new dynamic between them during the new season of the show. From the outset, the two seemed set on antagonizing one another. Brandi promptly called Jarrod an "idiot" after he bid on what she felt was a bad locker, and he told the auctioneer that if Brandi bid on anything, he would too in order to drive up the price.
During an interview with Disctractify, Brandi admitted that things on set were "a little tense," at times but she added that both she and Jarrod can “get through it.”
'Storage Wars' Feels Different For Brandi This Time
During interviews, Brandi has said that filming "Storage Wars" before her separation felt like it was taking its toll on her. However, she's said that this season feels a lot different for her. Of course, she and Jarrod are no longer bidding together, but during her interview with Spirit Talk, she talks about how she feels like she has a lot more freedom now and that she doesn't feel like she's being held back.
She also said that she feels like she can “bring myself out a little bit more," and Brandi described the new season of filming as being a bit enlightening.
A New Partner In Jarrod's Life
Fans have unsurprisingly been curious whether Jarrod and Brandi have someone special in their lives now that they're no longer together. For Jarrod, the answer is yes, as he's shared photos online of his new partner, Rochel Beckman. The two still share photos together online, and they've reportedly been together since 2019. Beckman was reportedly a bartender at a bar and grill Jarrod is suspected to have partially owned.
Things are a little different for Brandi, but we're guessing that's probably by choice, as she's spoken about wanting to take time away from dating to better focus on herself.
Rumors About Brandi's Love Life
Her split with Jarrod wasn't announced until 2021, but that didn't stop some online sleuths from noticing that something was amiss way before that. Brandi had long since stopped posting photos with Jarrod in them on her social media account, and she had been spotted out without her wedding ring on. In addition, there were all of the new people she was hanging out with and posting about on social media.
There were some rumors about her seeing a couple of different love interests during this time, but nothing is confirmed and it's doubtful any of them were serious if she hasn't announced anything yet.
Brandi Was Out With Covid For Awhile
A lot of people have caught COVID-19 both during and after the pandemic, but some have worse symptoms than others. Brandi was one such person, and she posted this photo of herself while she was in bed and had the virus. She said that it ultimately took her several weeks to fully recover, and during that time, she lost her sense of taste and had headaches that just kept coming back.
She also said that she'd done everything that she could to social distance and try and minimize her risk of catching it but unfortunately it was all to no avail.
Brandi Expressed Interest In A Screenplay Based On Her Life
During her interview with Spirit Talk, she and the host, Shavaun Avila talked about a lot of different things. However, Shavaun mentioned during one part of the interview that she was currently working on a screenplay and wanted to know if Brandi would be interested in contributing. Since then, the idea to make it a bit more about Brandi's own life has surfaced. This would not only include her time with "Storage Wars."
It turns out that Brandi has been through some unusual circumstances during her life, including constantly having to ask if she was adopted and having a "tumultuous" childhood.
Brandi Was Accused Of Highly Editing Her Own Photos
It's not hard to edit photos on social media. In fact, you're often encouraged to edit your photos. However, Brandi recently went through one incident in which people accused her of going a bit too far. This photo was taken while she was on a hike and some accused her of editing her waist to make it appear to look smaller in the photo. Brandi never commented on the matter.
However, TV Shows Ace, which made the accusations said that it “becomes clear” after looking at the image that someone altered it, whether or not it was Brandi.