Brandi Passante was a fan favorite on Storage Wars — the insanely popular reality show
following storage locker auctions and the people who attend them — primarily thanks
to her epic eye-rolls and razor-sharp wit. Alongside her then-partner Jarrod Schulz,
with whom she constantly bickered virtually every time they were on screen, Passante
established herself as a must-watch on the A&E hit. While other participants acted impulsively,
the longtime business owner mulled over each mysterious storage locker before placing her bid.
"Is this a banana dog costume?”
“It's not very appealing.”
“It's not very appealing? Is that what you just said?"
The chemistry between Passante and Schulz was such a huge part of Storage Wars that when the
couple exited the show in 2014, fans were shocked. Considering how beloved they were,
viewers knew it had nothing to do with likability. But, according to the couple
themselves, it appears they never envisioned themselves being on TV in the first place.
At the time, Passante and Schulz actually took a leave of absence from Storage Wars
because they were gifted their own spin-off show, 2014's Brandi & Jarrod:
Married to the Job. The title played off of how the couple had never said "I do,"
in spite of being together for over a decade and sharing two kids. With a press release
calling the duo, quote, "America's favorite bidders," their dedicated reality show followed
the couple as they navigated their busy home life in Orange County, California,
all while juggling the running of their second hand store with raising their two kids.
"If somebody was in a relationship with you,
they'd probably have to drink this much wine, too."
The pull for long-time fans of the couple,
however, was the opportunity to watch them finally prepare to walk down the aisle. And,
naturally, there would be plenty of good-natured drama along the way. As a press release noted,
"After 15 years together, Brandi and Jarrod finally decide to tie the knot,
and they approach wedding planning in a way that only they could:
with a little love, a lot of bickering and constant detours along the way."
Schulz deadpanned to The O.C. Register that the show,
"Makes our dysfunction seem a little less dysfunctional."
"For somebody who really insisted on coming to this, you're not being very helpful.”
“Oh I'm not here to help you shop for dresses,
I'm just here to make sure you don't walk out with a stupid one."
Although Storage Wars fans might have been sad
to see them walk away from the series that made them famous,
in the end, viewers got a lot more of their favorite fighting couple than they ever expected.
"I'm goin' all in on this one.”
“I need a straight jacket and a muzzle."
Passante and Shulz's interview with The Register portrayed how uncomfortable the then-couple was
with fame. It turns out, they were originally cast on Storage Wars by chance after the producers met
Shulz at an auction. When they visited him at work, they spotted Passante and inquired
about whether she would possibly want to appear on TV alongside him. Shulz says he initially
enjoyed some of the perks of fame, including chefs sending them special meals at local restaurants,
but Passante was more upfront about the realities of their new life. She revealed,
"It's a blessing and a curse. Sometimes you just want to go
to the grocery store and pick up some milk."
While filming the show, the two were expected to work six days a week,
which for them was exhausting. And although their
extended family considered Storage Wars to be something of a godsend, Shulz acknowledged,
"Neither of us really aspired to be on TV."
The show also put pressure on the duo as a couple. Shulz explained to the Times-Standard,
"Just running a business together as a couple is difficult and now we have the added pressure
of the cameras, production and schedule. It’s very trying and has put our relationship to the test."
Passante gave a rare interview in June 2020, with The Dad Diary on Facebook Live, whose host,
Danny Jordan, has previously worked as a producer on Storage Wars. The former reality star admitted
that she had no idea what she was getting into upon initially joining the show, having only
previously worked part time and basically been a stay-at-home mom. Passante was very hands-on
with her children, who were 7 and 5 at the time. But all that changed when the show took off.
"It's too late. You weren't cool to begin with. Hate to break it to you. Cuz you can't do this."
Suddenly, 60-hour weeks and long drives to filming locations meant less and less time
with her kids. Passante reportedly missed out on many major events,
including her youngest Payton's first day of kindergarten. The other moms at school who had
previously given her the cold shoulder suddenly wanted to be best friends, which apparently messed
with her head even further. Their series Married to the Job also featured the kids,
but considering that the couple was also filming Storage Wars, there still wasn't much family time.
In June, 2020, though, Passante confirmed that she and Shulz had split up back in 2018.
So now that both the show and their relationship are over, Passante is free to focus on her kids
full-time once again, and, according to her, she wouldn't have it any other way.
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