How Brandi Passante Got Her Start On Storage Wars

Brandi Passante began bidding solo for the first time during Season 13 of the hit A&E reality series "Storage Wars." She gained fame as one half of the squabbling couple who used to team up to take their competition down, but her former partner became her foe after she and Jarrod Schulz ended their long-term relationship in November 2018 (via People).

The former couple showed up at the same storage unit auction during the season premiere of "Storage Wars," and Brandi did not pass up the opportunity to call Jarrod an "idiot" on camera. Their breakup could have created an interesting dynamic on future episodes of the show, but there's a chance that Jarrod might not be coming back, according to TMZ. In April, Jarrod was charged with one count of misdemeanor domestic violence battery. He and Brandi were at the same bar, and he allegedly shoved her twice after they got in an argument. A&E is reportedly conducting an investigation into the incident that will determine whether Jarrod gets the boot.

Some viewers may find it hard to believe that Brandi's ex was initially invited to appear on "Storage Wars" without her, but just one look was all it took for producers to offer her a chance to appear in front of the camera, too.

In June 2020, Brandi Passante told The Dad Diary that Jarrod Schulz was not co-parenting their two teenagers. However, she added that she "did a lot of it on my own, anyway." During a 2013 interview with Lifetime Moms, she revealed that she was once a stay-at-home mom, and she confessed that the role wasn't right for her. "I love my kids, but I felt alienated and depressed when I didn't have a career, so I think I'm a better parent because I work," she said.

The opportunity for Brandi to go to work arose after Jarrod's aunt introduced him to the cutthroat world of bidding on storage lockers (via The Orange County Register). Jarrod began storing his purchases at home, which eventually became a problem. In 2012, he told IOL that the city threatened to fine the couple if they didn't remove the stuff that was "taking over the house."

Jarrod and Brandi opened up their Now and Then thrift store so they would have somewhere to sell the items, and it's there that the "Storage Wars" producers first spotted Brandi. They had spoken to Jarrod about their new show at an auction, and they later asked if they could film at the store. Brandi was working there when they arrived. "They asked me, 'Who's the girl up front?'" Jarrod recounted. "'Would she mind being on TV?'" And the rest, as they say, is history.