What Is Brandi Passante From Storage Wars Doing Today?
From carpet cleaner to well-known treasure hunter, Brandi Passante's no-nonsense personality has won us over ever since she made her reality television debut on A&E's "Storage Wars" in 2010 — arguably becoming the most popular star on the show. What she described as a "weird fluke" allowed her and her boyfriend, Jarrod Schulz, to transition from ex-mortgage company owners to full-fledged buyers. According to Brandi Passante, Schulz introduced her to the limitless world of storage auctions (via YouTube). Not only did this lead to them opening up a second-hand store in California, but it also led to them being approached by producers of A&E to star in their new show revolved around buyers bidding on items in unclaimed storage lockers. "They came to our shop, they met me, and were like, 'Would you like to be on camera?' and I was like, 'I'll try it. Whatever,'" Passante stated, "We didn't think it was going to go anywhere."
Brandi Passante seemingly took advantage of the good luck she was experiencing as her stint with "Storage Wars" lasted four years. While she may have had her reasons for leaving the show, it certainly left fans questioning what was next for Passante. Although she found success outside of her auction-buying career, that success came with several letdowns that shaped Passante into who she is today. To learn more about the life our favorite treasure hunter leads, here are some of the things Passante has been up to following her departure from "Storage Wars."
She briefly starred in a spinoff after leaving Storage Wars
Fans were confused as to why the two most popular stars on "Storage Wars" would ever leave. For Brandi Passante and her co-star-slash-boyfriend, Jarrod Schulz, it was to chase other opportunities given their admired personalities. On "Storage Wars," the two seamlessly shot off sharp wisecracks at one another that seemed to entertain the fans and A&E producers alike. So much so that they offered Passante and Schulz their own spinoff show, "Brandi and Jarrod: Married to the Job."
The two accepted in hopes of finding the balance between reality television obligations and a healthy family life. Focusing on their more humane side rather than their professions, the show aimed to give us insight into their relationship as they were planning to tie the knot. According to Schulz, their banter was just how they were. Since the focus wasn't on them on "Storage Wars," fans would only get a snapshot of their actual relationship — making them come off as a couple that is constantly at each other's throats. Schulz believed, however, that their spinoff show potentially shows their methods to their madness — stating, "It makes our dysfunction seem a little less dysfunctional" (via The Orange County Register). While the two never set out to have a publicized life, "Brandi and Jarrod: Married to the Job" ran for eight episodes. Despite Passante and Schulz's popularity, the show underperformed — leading to its inevitable cancellation in 2014 (via IMDb).
Brandi tries to keep her children away from the limelight
Brandi Passante and Jarrod Schulz welcomed two kids, Payton and Cameron, before their stint on "Storage Wars." While her success meant more money to provide for her kids, it resulted in unwanted attention from the public. According to Passante, her rise to stardom was an anxiety-filled one. As her popularity on the show grew, she'd find herself in uncomfortable situations whenever she'd step out in public. Passante told Lifetime, "This may come as a surprise to some people, but I'm actually a very shy person. I even get anxiety when I have to go out to the store or to the gas station because I'm afraid of people approaching me" (via Starcasm).
Safe to say, this passed down to her children, as she revealed that they're also not fans of the limelight (via YouTube). Outside of their brief appearances on "Storage Wars" and "Brandi and Jarrod: Married to the Job," not much is known about her two children. On February 22, 2020, Passante posted a picture of Payton on Instagram with the caption, "I stopped posting pictures of my babies because some creepy a** dudes were harassing them." While she has no problem blasting Instagram users for their unflattering comments, it seems as though she would rather those comments be directed toward her, not her children.
She broke up with her long-time boyfriend Jarrod Schulz
Brandi Passante met Jarrod Schulz while working at a carpet-cleaning company in 1999. Much like their banter-filled relationship, the two seemingly have different perspectives on who came on to who first (via The Orange County Register). Nonetheless, their effortless interactions with each other made fans believe Brandi and Jarrod were endgame. Unfortunately, on the 13th season premiere of "Storage Wars," Passante revealed that as of 2018, the two are no longer an item. In the episode, Passante stated, "I'm not with Jarrod anymore." Schulz believed this wouldn't be an issue in their auctioning endeavors as long as they didn't cross paths. "Just because me and Brandi aren't together anymore, doesn't mean we can't go to an auction," he stated, "But separately" (via People).
Although their spinoff show suggested that they would get married, the two never tied the knot. While the cause of their split remains a mystery, Passante and Schulz's breakup seemed to be mutual. Through his Instagram, it became apparent that Schulz seamlessly moved on as he began to post selfies with his girlfriend, Rachel Beckman. Passante revealed that she's not only taking her time adjusting to the single life after 19 years but taking on the responsibility of being a single mother as well (via YouTube). "I have them all the time, 24/7 they're here with me, so I have to navigate that," she told Danny Jordan on "The Dad Diary."
She's content with the single life
Jarrod Schulz seemingly took no time jumping into another relationship after splitting with Brandi Passante. Although Passante's Instagram may suggest that she is actively dating, the A&E alumni stated that she is not looking to get into any relationships. During her appearance on "Spirit Talk Hosted by Shavaun and Sabrina" (via YouTube), Passante described herself as being "emotionally dead inside." Despite the harsh words, she expressed an essential need to focus on her well-being. "I wasn't really allowed to have an identity for many, many years," she revealed to Shavaun and Sabrina, "These last couple of years, I've been coming into my own and figuring out who I am."
While this may seem unfortunate, Passante revealed that her therapist stated that this is only temporary. Shavaun and Sabrina seemed to share that same notion as they revealed that their readings indicate that she will meet somebody very soon. "It's coming in the next few years," Sabrina shared, "Very unexpected. Not somebody you would normally be attracted to, and beautiful eyes. Something about the eyes are very piercing." Shavaun then added that this person would not only shower her with love, but he would also be someone of status. "It seems like he's famous, so whatever that means. We'll see," she told Passante. Aside from her matter-of-fact personality, Passante appeared very hopeful after hearing the good news.
She's still in touch with co-stars Kenny Crossley and Barry Weiss
The sometimes-tense animosity between each of the enthusiastic bidders on "Storage Wars" seemingly spilled into their real life. According to Brandi, she wasn't close to those on the show — except for Jarrod, of course (via The Saline Courier). She even went as far as to express her dislike towards Dave Hester during her appearance on the "Happening Now with Hammer" podcast. When Hammer asked if that was one of her favorite co-stars, she responded, "No, and I don't think that's a secret." Hester's been notorious for appearing as the show's main antagonist, and according to Passante, he didn't care for masquerading as a nice guy (via YouTube).
Although she may not get along with the uncivil treasure hunter, she did reveal that she's still in touch with Barry Weiss and Kenny Crossley. In an interview with Inquirer.net, Passante and Jarrod suggested that they remained good friends with Weiss following their departure in 2014. "We like Barry," Passante stated, to which Schulz added, "We've kept in touch. We see him a few times a year. We hang out." As for Kenny Crossley, Passante revealed that they remained good friends — stating, "I love Kenny. He's one of my favorite humans." Her love for Crossley seems to reign true as she shared an adorable selfie of the two on Instagram in 2021 with the caption, "Kumbaya."
She's helped raise over $100,000 for a domestic violence charity event
Outside of her treasure-hunting endeavors, Brandi Passante made it known that mental health is vital. Amid her ever-growing popularity, Brandi revealed that the amount of attention she was getting caused her great stress and anxiety (via YouTube). "I did have to have a little bit of therapy about it," Brandi told Danny Jordan, "I didn't like to leave the house for quite some time. But I'm good now."
It's safe to assume that Passante became involved in helping others due to her own mental struggles. If you were to take a brief look at her Instagram, you'd see several posts of the charities she's participated in. From promoting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention on Instagram to emceeing a Women's Own Worth event (via The Saline Courier) — an organization dedicated to aiding survivors of domestic violence — Passante has had her hands full trying to give back to organizations she seemingly cares about.
According to The Saline Courier, 2019's WOWapalooza saw the organization raise over $100,000 with the help of Passante. Driven by pure intentions, Passante revealed that the organization was skeptical about having her emcee the event due to her celebrity status. However, the "Storage Wars" reality star had no problem helping out for free. "I have experienced some things in my life, and it's a really wonderful cause," she stated, "It's things that are needed, so I wanted to help in any way possible."
She opened up about her experience with domestic abuse
Helping to raise $100,000 for a charity event revolving around domestic violence was more than just an act of goodwill from the A&E alumni herself. On Instagram, Passante revealed she is a survivor of domestic abuse. In 2021, she unveiled a meaningful hand tattoo that read, "Free." Despite the vagueness of the tattoo, Passante penned a lengthy caption explaining its meaning. "To me, it means that somehow, by the grace of god, I managed to escape a very difficult situation that so many people fall victim to," she wrote. "I will be eternally grateful for the life and freedom without fear that I get to live now."
Although she never specified who this was about, many of her followers believe this may be a callback to Jarrod Schulz's alleged domestic abuse charge in May of the same year. According to TMZ, Schulz and Passante got into an argument that resulted in Schulz pushing her twice in front of her friends. The two at the time were broken up and seemed to have moved on from their 19-year-long relationship. However, the two seemingly had built up tension that may have gotten reawakened amid their appearance together on the set of the 13th season of "Storage Wars."
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
She lost her father in 2020
2020 was a year filled with uncertainty for not just us but for Brandi Passante. Along with contracting COVID-19, the reality star seemingly lost tight-knit family members throughout the year. On October 26, 2020, Brandi Passante took to Instagram to announce that her father had passed away. By quoting Neil Young's "Angel's Flying Too Close to the Ground," the "daddy's girl" acknowledged her father's kind soul while declaring that she's tired of 2020 being a year filled with grief. "I can't think of a time that you ever got mad at me or yelled at me. I absolutely used that to my advantage. I will miss you terribly," she wrote, "Now if everyone I love could stop dying in such close proximity that would be great."
For her father, it seemed like this was a long-winded battle. During her appearance on "Spirit Talk Hosted by Shavaun and Sabrina" (via YouTube), she revealed that her father had faced several medical hardships for 35 years before his passing. "He had rheumatoid arthritis, he had osteoporosis, he got liver cancer, just so many things," she revealed to Sabrina, "He ended up dying of lung cancer." As a result of several diagnoses, her father was seemingly depressed — a revelation that Shavaun picked up on during her reading. While the loss may still be fresh in her head, the two revealed that he is watching over her, reassuring Passante that he loved her dearly.
She's a regular on a podcast
Is it much of a surprise that the TV personality herself hopped on the podcasting bandwagon? Given Brandi Passante's sharp-wittedness, most would assume she'd fit right in with the Joe Rogans and the Andrew Schulzes of the world. According to Hammer and Troy from the "Happening Now with Hammer" podcast, they seem to carry that same notion. On June 24, 2021, she made her first appearance on the show. Though it seemed like she was merely a guest, Hammer opens up the episode by suggesting that Passante may become a regular on the podcast. Before discussing several topics regarding her journey to "Storage Wars," Hammer stated, "We have a new friend of ours that's going to be joining us periodically — hopefully more often than not" (via YouTube).
Fortunately, Brandi Passante became a regular on the show, starring in almost every weekly episode since her first appearance. Despite Hammer jokingly having a different take on how they met, the two met at a dive bar. Their friendship presumably reached a point where they trusted Passante enough to be a dedicated co-host. On her Instagram, you could see her promote the podcast alongside posting quirky selfies of them hanging out. As for the podcast, topics discussed on the show range from weird holiday traditions to Only Fans stories. As fans of "Storage Wars," Hammer and Alex even had Don and Laura Dotson, Kenny Crossley, and Lisa Delarios on their podcast.
She eventually returned to Storage Wars after 7 years
Despite her prolonged break from reality television, the matter-of-fact buyer herself returned to "Storage Wars" for its 13th season. Brandi Passante said her return to the show was out of sheer boredom (via Pop Culture). Aside from her other endeavors, it seems that Passante hasn't fed into her passion for treasure hunting in quite some time. Her long-awaited return to real-life TV saw her reunite with Barry Weiss, Kenny Crossley, Dan and Laura Dotson, and her ex-boyfriend Jarrod Schulz.
Filming on set proved difficult as it was following the COVID-19 pandemic — which she contracted in 2020 — and her break up with her former boyfriend. According to Pop Culture, she described her experience filming the 13th season as "tumultuous as ever." Passante — who was slightly uncomfortable being on set with Schulz — tried to avoid him. However, this was short-lived, as the 13th season premiere saw the two run into each other at an auction. Though they may have preferred to stay as far from each other as possible, it didn't take long for them to make wisecracks at each other's expense (via People). Although it took some time for the cast members to get back into the swing of things, Passante assured fans that this didn't stop them from producing a great season. "From what I hear, this season is shaping up to be one of the funniest seasons," she told Pop Culture in 2021.
She was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease
As an Instagram user, Brandi Passante has been known to blast back at individuals making indecent remarks about her or anyone she decides to post. However, one instance, in particular, saw the quick-witted Texan educate her supporters about an underlying condition she has. While fans were ecstatic about her return to "Storage Wars," they couldn't help but notice that she sounded a lot different from what they remembered. According to Passante herself, this is due to a rare autoimmune disorder (via Outsider). When asked about her scratchy voice on Instagram, Passante responded, "I have Hashimoto's Disease. An autoimmune disease that affects my thyroid. Sometimes, it makes my throat raspy ..."
According to Mayo Clinic, Hashimoto's disease halts the production of hormones our thyroid produces. While the disorder can cause several alarming health issues like reproductive dysfunction and cardiovascular diseases, it seems that Passante's only apparent symptom is a scratchy voice. Though its cause can stem from several things, Hashimoto's disease is most common among middle-aged women. Despite being affected by a rare autoimmune disorder, it seems that Passante still leads a healthy life, nonetheless. She's seemingly doing well, as the disease hasn't prevented her from returning to "Storage Wars" and continuing her co-hosting duties on her podcast.