Undoubtedly, “Storage Wars” is one of the most popular reality TV competition series of the last decade. Since its premiere in 2010 on A&E, the show has achieved unbeatable success, not only in the US, but around the world, allowing its cast members to also amass fame and recognition along the way.
Given how hugely popular and well-loved “Storage Wars” is, it unsurprising that a lot of people were glad to see the show making its long-awaited return to the small screen in 2021, following a prolonged hiatus of two years. However, not everything is good news, and while it was great to see some of our favorite bidders make their comeback, the popular but also drama-prone Jarrod Schulz didn’t last long before becoming involved in serious legal issues.
So what did Jarrod Schulz really do, and are the rumors about him true? Stay with us to know it all!
What Did Jarrod Schulz Do?
Any good fan of “Storage Wars” surely knows that Jarrod Schulz and his long-time partner Brandi Passante split after the show wrapped up its 12th season in 2019. Nonetheless, while details about the separation remained secret for some time, things took an ugly turn for the now-former couple, when in mid-2021 Jarrod was charged with misdemeanor domestic violence battery against Passante.
According to TMZ, the incident happened on 30 April that year, when Jarrod went looking for Passante while she hung out in an Orange County bar with some friends. A loud argument soon ensued between them, taking a turn for the worse when according to reports, Jarrod apparently refused to leave the place, pushed his former wife twice, and yelled at her friends.
By the time police arrived, Jarrod was nowhere in sight, denying the accusations when interviewed a couple of days after the incident. In May he was charged with one count of misdemeanor, and two months later was in court for the trial, but as his lawyer Benjamin Arsenian told TMZ, Jarrod wanted the case dismissed, and completely denied having any contact with Passante during the incident.
It’s unknown what other consequences he might have faced for his alleged acts – Jarrod hasn’t addressed the issue and his social media hasn’t been very active since the incident.
Is He Still In The Show?
Starting in early 2019, “Storage Wars” took its longest hiatus from TV since its premiere in 2010. Though many fans lost hope of seeing their favorite show back on air, it was surprising to say the least when a 13th season was announced to premiere in 2021.
Despite the good news, the new season saw Jarrod Schulz and Brandi Passante’s tense post-split dynamic unfold, and though that was certainly disheartening for their fans, it was good enough to know that they were on speaking terms. However, given the domestic abuse allegations against Jarrod which hit headlines not long afterwards, TMZ reported that A&E was conducting an independent investigation into the case.
Who watched #storagewars last night? @Brandipassante @OutlawApparel pic.twitter.com/KZkHvqHNuG
— Jarrod Schulz (@Jarrodmschulz) November 9, 2017
Later, when the 14th season premiered in late 2021, Jarrod was nowhere to be seen, and no explanation was offered by the network. Even so, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to think Jarrod’s absence was due to the charges against him.
Whether Jarrod will return to the show in the future is unknown, as the lack of information about his case makes it impossible to determine if the charges against him hold any truth; being innocent is probably the only way Jarrod could return to TV without facing a backlash.
Was He In Prison Before?
Unbeknownst to many, Jarrod Schulz apparently has had his fair share of problems with the law. According to Starcasm, in January 1997 Jarrod was sentenced to 60 days in jail for possession of a controlled substance. Upon his release, Jarrod allegedly continued down the same path as before, soon being arrested for drug possession, and this time sentenced to 16 months in prison.
His prolonged stay behind bars led Jarrod to change his path in life, apparently prompting him to put his priorities in order, and eventually establish his businesses. That being said, the website also reported that Brandi Passante allegedly had a past mishap with the law, when in 2007 she pleaded guilty for driving under the influence, though said incident seems to be a once-in-a-lifetime thing; these reports remain unconfirmed both by Jarrod and Brandi.
Who Is Jarrod Dating Now?
Even if life hasn’t been smooth for Jarrod Schulz in the last couple of years, this doesn’t seem to apply to his romantic endeavors. Following his split from Brandi Passante in late 2018, Jarrod apparently found love again with a woman named Rochel Beckman from California.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CdMvjbGhI8q/
While romantic details about the pair aren’t revealed, the first time she referred to her relationship with Jarrod was in late 2019, when she wrote, on her then-public Instagram account: ‘It’s crazy how much happier life can be when you are appreciated and cared for the way a person should be’. That being said, the relationship wasn’t official for his followers until he announced he was on a trip to Disneyland with Rochel, proceeding to share more couple-style pics on his account from then on.
Further information about Rochel’s career background is unknown, but her post on Facebook makes us suspect that she works in Jarrod’s business Rush Bar And Grill. As well, it’s known that she’s divorced, and has three sons and a granddaughter.
Why Did Jarrod and Brandi Split?
Even though Jarrod Schulz apparently started his relationship with Rochel Beckman in late 2019, the majority of “Storage Wars” fans didn’t know he and Brandi had split until the show’s 12th season hit the small screen after its hiatus.
Private Life of Brandi Passante Divorce, New Partner and Untold Secrets https://t.co/mXoEoGjCu1 #storagewars #brandipassante pic.twitter.com/JeGwRPKZ0V
— Film Mania (@FilmMania9) December 29, 2020
Needless to say, the pair’s on-screen dynamic was wildly different than viewers remembered. Long gone were their once-light hearted arguments, and they no longer bid together, even if they tried to make it work anyway: ‘Just because me and Brandi aren’t together anymore doesn’t mean we can’t go to an auction, but separately’, Jarrod affirmed in the show.
While it’s not unusual for break-ups to end on a bitter tone, the way Jarrod and Brandi silently handled the situation made the reasons behind the split hard to guess. However, in 2020, Brandi affirmed that she ‘hadn’t been allowed to have an identity’ for a long time, adding that: ‘these last couple of years, I’m kind of coming into my own and figuring out who I am’, she told Spirit Talk on YouTube.
While Brandi’s words aren’t telling of what really happened between her and Jarrod, it’s clear that their time as a couple reached its natural conclusion. That being said, whatever was the reason for their split, their relationship surely worsened after their altercation in 2021.
Even though Jarrod and Brandi’s relationship isn’t at its best nowadays, it doesn’t do any harm to remember the times when everything seemed perfect for the couple. They met in 1999, when both worked in a cleaning business. At the time, Brandi was a newbie in the job, while Jarrod’s higher position in the company prompted him to guide her at work. That being said, there’s no consensus on who fell for the other first. In an interview they gave to The Mystery Men Show in 2017, Jarrod is convinced that Brandi was the one interested in him the most: ‘My boss hired her, and then she pretty much stalked me after that’, while conversely she said that Jarrod followed her ‘like a puppy dog’.
Apparently, Jarrod was well aware that starting a relationship with a subordinate wasn’t exactly ethical, but by the looks of it, both of them put in the effort to make it work, despite the difficulties their relationship entailed. Eventually the pair left that job in order to be together, without breaking any work-related guidelines.
Business
Raising a family while not having a stable job isn’t an easy task, but somehow Jarrod and Brandi handled it well. In the early 2000s, the couple started a mortgage company primarily managed by Jarrod, unfortunately failing when the market plummeted not long afterwards.
That being said, Jarrod and Brandi’s children were welcomed into the world almost at the same time as they tried to find new ways to financially sustain their family. Nonetheless, this was a blessing in disguise, given that while their mortgage business fell, Jarrod’s aunt introduced him to the world of antiques and from then on, it was easy for the couple to know what they wanted to do.
Within a couple of years, the pair established the Now and Then Thrift Store, which sells second-hand, rarely seen articles to collectors in Orange County, California.
https://www.facebook.com/186701064673661/photos/a.678257785517984/1957237284286688
TV Debut & Fame
Jarrod and Brandi’s debut on TV came quite unexpectedly. It all started when a producer approached Jarrod during an auction in Seattle, and briefly told him about the idea for a new show. However, over eight months passed until Jarrod was contacted by the producer once again, asking him to film a pilot episode in his store.
Having convinced Jarrod, the producers visited the shop and immediately became intrigued by Brandi: ‘They asked me, ‘who’s the girl up front? Would she mind being on TV?’,’ as Jarrod recalled in an interview with Orange County Register.
The producers sixth sense didn’t fail with casting Brandi in the show, as the so-called Young Guns admittedly became one of the most famous couples from “Storage Wars”. As well, the show certainly changed the now-former couple’s life in many ways, affirming that sometimes the fame was unbearable: ‘It’s a blessing and a curse, sometimes you just want to go to the grocery store and pick up some milk’, as Brandi stated.
While nowadays both Brandi and Jarrod are used to their popularity, they didn’t have big expectations about the show when it premiered: ‘I told (Brandi) back then, even if nothing happens, even if the show ran for only one season, at least we’d be able to get free advertising for the store’, he said.
Family
Jarrod and Brandi’s children were born in the early 2000s, and are now young adults, but their parents’ have kept them away from the spotlight for good reasons.
According to a Brandi’s post on Instagram, she started limiting what she shared about her children due to some disturbing messages she received years ago. In 2021 Brandi opened up for the first time about her kids’ struggles, in an interview with The Dad Diary online show, to whom she revealed that her daughter Payton was born with a cleft palate and partially deaf, which made her quite shy for a long time. However, trying for the cheerleading team completely changed the girl’s attitude: ‘She became more confident, and you could actually start to hear her voice’, she happily affirmed.
https://www.instagram.com/p/ChFt2FyuSBY/
She also revealed that her son Cameron has suffered for some time from a kidney mass condition, which took him away from school for several months. Fortunately, Cameron overcame his health struggles, but becoming young adults isn’t the end of the worries for both parents. As Jarrod affirmed in 2016, he was supportive of his kids’ future chosen careers, and wasn’t interested in hiring them in the shop: ‘ I said, no way! You won’t even have your first job there. You need to make your own path. Don’t follow in my footsteps’, he said to Entertainment Enquirer.
Life Nowadays
Unfortunately, Jarrod Schulz’ lack of online activity makes it hard to know what projects he’s working on nowadays. For one side, his business Rush Bar & Grill hasn’t updated its social media accounts since late 2021, and his online shop Outlaw Apparel has also been inactive for quite some time.
Following this trend of inactivity, the Now and Then Thrift Store Facebook page hasn’t shared any post since 2020, leaving many open questions about whether Brandi and Jarrod keep working together in it, or have also completely separated ways even in the professional sense, after their split.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4G1_WiFX3P/
So given all these situations, it’s hard to tell for sure what Jarrod Schulz is doing nowadays, but considering he has always been a businessman through and through, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to assume he might be managing his business on the quiet, as the possible scandal regarding his criminal charges abates. Though this is only a theory for now, it’s almost certain that at some point in the near future Jarrod might return to public life, and finally answer some of his fans’ most important questions about his actions.
However, while that time comes, there are fortunately enough “Storage Wars” reruns from old seasons which remind us of a time when things weren’t as complicated for Jarrod and his loved ones.
