Jarrod Schulz may not be a star on A&E’s Storage Wars for much longer due to the allegations against him of domestic violence. Schulz’s ex, Brandi Passante. Schulz is facing a charge of misdemeanor domestic violence battery for allegedly pushing Passante during an argument in a bar last month. According to a report by TMZ, A&E is now conducting its own investigation and may fire Schulz depending on its findings.
Passante was reportedly hanging out with friends at a bar late in April when she got into an argument with Schulz, who pushed her in the heat of the moment. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office charged him with one count of misdemeanor domestic violence battery over the allegation, which is still under investigation. In the meantime, when the news got back to A&E the network reportedly took it seriously. It is now investigating the incident itself, sources tell TMZ, and it may chose to remove him from the show altogether.
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Schulz was reportedly taken off the filming schedule as the network’s investigation gets underway. The process will include a probe into Schulz and Passante’s personal relationship, which features heavily on the show at times. They are often combative with each other, but now investigators are tasked with differentiating between the theatrical quarreling of reality TV and a real threat to safety.
Insiders say they expect the findings to be unsettling. Cast members reportedly told TMZ that they believe Passante is a victim of domestic violence, and they don’t believe Schulz should be allowed to return to the show. Others in the cast and crew say their relationship is “messy,” and they have been uncomfortable with it for a long time.
Schulz and Passante have been in the main cast of Storage Wars since the series began without any interruptions or time away. They even had a short-lived spinoff series called Brandi & Jarrod: Married to the Job, which ran for just 8 episodes in the fall of 2014. In each episode, they found a way to repurpose items from their purchased storage units for their needs or those of their family.
Storage Wars itself premiered in December of 2010 on A&E and remains one of the network’s biggest hit shows. The latest season began just last month. The series is streaming now on Peacock with a free trial available here or on FuboTV with a free trial available here. New episodes premiere on Tuesday nights at 9:30 p.m. ET on A&E.
