Domestic Violence Trigger Warning
Imagine hooking up with your boss, then making a TV show with him! That's just
the start of the complicated romantic history of Brandi and Jarrod Schulz.
Brandi Passante and Jarrod Schulz have a history that goes all the way back to 1999.
Since that was a time before dating apps, the two actually met in a more or less old-fashioned way:
at work! It turns out Passante got a job at the carpet-cleaning business where Schulz already
worked. In an interview held during History Con, Schulz claimed he was Passante's boss at the time,
and a relationship between them was frowned upon. He recalled:
"A mutual friend put notes on my truck,
reminding me to be nice to Brandi, because I could be abrasive."
According to Passante, Schulz was the one who initiated their connection.
She said in the interview that Schultz's persistence wore her
down, but did admit to being charmed by him. Schulz added:
"Obviously, I don't get by on my looks! So I gotta be witty. I have to do things to compensate."
Passante and Schulz are mom and dad to two kids, Payton and Cameron Schulz. They're both
fairly protective of their kids and don't often mention them directly in interviews or on TV.
However, in 2021, Passante was interviewed by "The Dad Diary"
and revealed that both Payton and Cameron have battled pretty significant challenges.
Passante shared that their daughter Payton was born deaf and with a cleft
palate and that she underwent successful surgery when she was only 6 weeks old.
But it took a long time before Payton gained confidence.
"For years, she would be really quiet, until she started
cheerleading, and I think that was kind of life-changing for her."
Additionally, their son, Cameron, missed three months of school when
a mass on his kidney began to cause issues, but he ultimately recovered.
"I'm Brandi, I'm Jarrod's wife, and we own Now and Then second hand store."
Passante and Schulz's big break happened in 2010 when the two were added to the cast of the
first season of "Storage Wars." At the time, the pair were co-owners of a thrift store in Orange,
California called Now and Then, and they soon became fan favorites on the show.
Now and Then actually ended up being the reason Passante and Schulz were on the show in the
first place. The two typically stocked their store by bidding on storage units,
and were in the process of doing exactly that when Schulz met producers from "Storage Wars." He told
The Orange County Register that producers were nearly immediately interested in Passante, saying:
"They asked me, 'Who's the girl up front? Would she mind being on TV?'"
One thing led to another, and eventually, the two became mainstays on the show.
One potential snag in the relationship between Brandi Passante and Jarrod Schulz that could
have led to their breakup was when they attempted to star in their own "Storage
Wars" spin-off show titled "Brandi and Jarrod: Married to the Job" in 2014. Unfortunately,
the show was canceled after only one season on the air.
"That was not the game plan."
The launch of the show came after the pair's failed attempt at opening
a second thrift store in Long Beach, California, which closed the same year.
The first and only season of "Married to the Job" had a total of eight episodes, all of which aired
between August and September 2014. While the name of the show might have implied to viewers that
Passante and Schulz were married, the reality is that the two never legally tied the knot.
"Oh my god, stop talking."
Season 13 of "Storage Wars" premiered in 2021, and with it came the news that Passante and Schulz had
broken up for good. Passante herself delivered the news on the first episode of the season:
"I'm not with Jarrod anymore."
Schulz was later filmed commenting on the separation as well, explaining to cameras
that no longer being in a relationship isn't reason enough to no longer work on the show.
"Just because me and Brandi aren't together
anymore doesn't mean we can't go to an auction — but separately."
The former couple inevitably ran into one another when they both attended the same auction.
Schulz even outbid Passante on a storage unit she was eyeing and admitted to the
cameras that knowing his ex was bidding on a unit was motivation enough to do the same.
While speaking to "The Dad Diary" in 2020, Brandi Passante made several claims implying
that Jarrod Schulz was not maintaining an active role in the lives of their children.
She said that she'd been a single mom for a while, and that she'd done "a lot of it" on her own.
"But it's the scary dad voice in the background that we're missing."
The same year, Passante admitted to "Spirit Talk" that when it comes to dating,
she hasn't really explored her options. While this might be in part because her children are
home with her all of the time, she also explained that after ending her relationship with Schulz,
she realized it was time to form an identity and figure out who she is. She said:
"I just don't have an attachment to anyone. I've definitely dated and things like that."
"It's not something I'm really trying hard to seek out. I'm waiting until I, you know,
can feel an attachment to someone."
By her own admission, it's clear that Passante felt that Schulz
wasn't a positive person to have in the home with herself and her children.
Things between Brandi Passante and Jarrod Schulz were never particularly known for being smooth,
and the pair reportedly split up after filming the 12th season of "Storage Wars."
In May 2021, numerous outlets revealed that Schulz had been accused of domestic violence
against Passante. As noted by TMZ, Passante was at a bar in Orange County, California,
when Schulz showed up and the two got into a verbal disagreement. Passante told Schulz that
he needed to leave, but he supposedly refused, and at some point he reportedly pushed Passante,
prompting someone in the party to call the police. By the time the cops showed up,
Schulz had already left the premises. Despite the fact that Schulz denied this version of events,
authorities arrested him and charged him with one count of misdemeanor domestic violence battery.
If you or someone you know is struggling with domestic abuse, please call or chat online with the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.