As part of one of the most successful reality shows of the last decade, it doesn’t come as a surprise that “Storage Wars” stars give us a lot to talk about. Whether the topic is about their storage findings, their businesses or even their personal lives, the fame acquired by our favorite storage bidders is impressive, despite the show’s inestimable airings in recent years.

That being said, cast members such as Brandi Passante aren’t just popular, but also quite unforgettable due to their charisma and easiness in attracting fans.

So what is Brandi doing nowadays? Is she still on TV, or has she left the bidding business? Is she still with Jarrod Schultz? Keep with us to know all details about this memorable “Storage Wars” star!

What Is She Doing Now?

Regardless of leaving TV for a couple of years, “Storage Wars” returned on air with new adventures to share, and already known faces in its cast, which fortunately included Brandi Passante. The show’s renewal was warmly welcomed, for not only bringing back some of the audience’s favorite bidders, but also for letting us see how Brandi dealt with her business alone, following her break-up from her-now former husband Jarrod Schulz in 2019.

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Despite coming back with her daily biddings from “Storage Wars” 13th season onwards, it’s actually unknown what happened to her antiquity-centered Now and Then Thrift Store. As it happens, the business social media accounts have been inactive since 2020, and its official website is down, raising suspicions of it closing.

While the Now and Then Thrift Store’s fate remains unknown, Brandi continues quite actively on social media, but limits her posts centered on “Storage Wars”, her public events, and casual outings with friends. All in all, Brandi seems to be doing well nowadays, regardless of the many changes her life has been through lately.

Why Did She and Jarrod Separate?

Everyone who watched the first “Storage Wars” 12th seasons knows well that the dynamic between Brandi and Jarrod Schulz was quite interesting. While it was usual for them to argue about their biddings and sometimes judge each other’s choices on the job, the so-called “Young Guns” were known as a power couple, and gave off the appearance of a pretty stable marriage.

However, more often than not, what we see on TV is not a real reflection of what actually happens in real life. As “Storage Wars” entered a prolonged hiatus from TV in early 2019, Brandi and Jarrod used the break to definitely split as a couple, even though the reason behind it is unknown.

What Happened to Brandi and Jarrod From 'Storage Wars'? – Newsweek https://t.co/Gm9dwRZUSR #RealityTV #StorageWars #brandipassante #jarrodschulz pic.twitter.com/QBYUIQ9gPU

— URBANTIAN™ (@URBANTIAN) April 22, 2021

Used to not revealing much about their personal endeavors, most fans didn’t know about Brandi and Jarrod’s separation, kept low until she announced in “Storage Wars” premiering 13th season episode. However, those who followed the couple more closely knew the relationship was no longer, as Jarrod started posting pics with his new girlfriend in late 2019.

Regarding their children, Brandi apparently retained custody: ‘I have them all the time, 24/7 they’re here with me, so I have to navigate that’, she revealed in a 2020’s interview with The Dad Diary on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/ParentingCountdown/posts/2599328733654419

Are They On Good Terms?

Given how low profile their divorce was, there were initially no hints of animosity between the former couple, until Brandi covered Jarrod’s face with emojis on “Storage Wars” reboot’s promotions on her social media. Although the show let us see that they were at least on speaking terms, Brandi in an interview with PopCulture, later described Jarrod as “obnoxious and never stops talking”, which only served to confirm fans’ fears.

Even if some people took Brandi’s actions as a publicity stunt, to attract people to tune inro the show’s comeback, it turns out the bad blood was indeed real, and worse than it seemed, as their post-separation relationship hit rock bottom when he assaulted her in April 2021.

https://www.instagram.com/p/rbCrPyiSf8/

According to TMZ, Brandi was hanging out at a California bar when Jarrod arrived at the place, an argument ensuing which ended up with him allegedly pushing her a couple of times with her friends as witnesses. Although police apparently arrived when Jarrod was no longer in the bar, he was later approached by authorities and denied the claims, but was ultimately charged with “misdemeanor domestic violence battery”.

While neither Jarrod or Brandi openly discussed the issue, the incident was allegedly investigated by A&E, making it not far-fetched to assume this eventually caused Jarrod’s exit from “Storage Wars” 14th season, premiered a couple of months later.

Who Are They Dating Now?

According to social media posts, Jarrod has been dating a Californian woman named Rochel Beckman for a couple of years. Although it’s unclear when the pair’s relationship officially started, we saw them together for the first time on a Facebook pic shared by Rochel in July 2019. It wasn’t until January 2020 that Jarrod shared a pic with Rochel, but it was enough to confirm that he and Brandi were no longer together.

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On her part, Brandi’s romantic life post-divorce is less eventful. Back in 2020, she told The Dad Diary that despite her then newly acquired single status, she wasn’t actively seeking a new partner: ‘I’ve definitely dated and things like that, but right now it’s not something I’m really trying hard to seek out. I’m waiting until I can feel an attachment to someone’.

After an incredible amount of research, I just learned that Brandi and Jarrod from Storage Wars are no longer a couple. And that she’s dating a guy named Uncle Scooby!

So…that’s how my Saturday night is going.

— Bryan Behar (@bryanbehar) April 26, 2020

While it’s been a while since her divorce, Brandi’s current dating life remains a mystery, due to how carefully she protects her privacy from the public’s scrutiny.

What Happened To Their Show?

Despite the messy outcome of Brandi and Jarrod’s marriage, things were dramatically different for the now-former couple only a couple of years ago. Back when “Storage Wars” was at its peak of popularity, the network made good use of it by premiering several spin-off series’, including “Brandi & Jarrod: Married to the Job” in 2014.

Although they were famous for their biddings endeavors, their show “” was almost completely focused on Brandi and Jarrod’s personal life, showing the audience what it was like to live in their household, how they dealt with their usual disagreements, and more importantly, the many changes their relationship was going through, as they planned their upcoming wedding after being together for more than a decade.

All new #StorageWars tonight pic.twitter.com/WgxckdwZ7y

— Brandi Passante (@Brandipassante) April 21, 2021

However, regardless of the interest surrounding their nuptials, “Married To The Job” ended on a sour note, as not only was it canceled, but Brandi and Jarrod didn’t tie the knot.

Dealing With Fame and Parenting

Even if it’s not rare for celebrities to strongly protect their privacy, Brandi Passante’s reasons for not revealing much about her family on social media, were truly understandable. Ever since “Storage Wars” premiered in 2010, taking care of her children, Payton and Cameron was increasingly difficult, missing some of their most important milestones, in addition to making their life hard while in school: ‘They didn’t like it all. The kids gave them a hard time at school, and I think they were more annoyed by it than anything’, she told The Dad Diary in 2020.

https://www.instagram.com/p/siG2KFCSRs/

Nowadays, both Payton and Cameron are in their late teens, but that doesn’t mean it’s become any easier for them. As Brandi also admitted, years prior to their separation, she and Jarrod were pushed to move their family into a gated community due to the increasingly odd behavior from people, who allegedly sent their kids odd letters. More recently, Brandi also warned her Instagram followers against leaving ‘gross’ comments about her daughter, and ultimately refraining from regularly posting pics of her kids.

While Brandi has openly admitted to not wanting their children to follow her and Jarrod’s steps in the thrifting business, and the entertainment world, in the end that depends solely on Cameron and Payne’s choices.

What Did Brandi Do Before The Show?

Before fame came knocking at her door, Brandi Passante had quite a normal life. In the early 2000s she worked as a carpet cleaning assistant, a job which led her to meet the shop’s manager, Jarrod Schulz.

While it’s unclear when exactly their love story started, in 2003 she gave birth to their son Payton. Approximately at the same time, she and Jarrod left the carpet cleaning business to start their Now and Then Thrift Store, which she managed from home, after Jarrod unsuccessfully tried to start a mortgage company.

Regarding her career and how she dealt with working and raising her kids prior to the show, Brandi admitted to not feeling guilty about putting her best effort into her work, despite how it sometimes kept her away from her children: ‘I used to be a stay-at-home mom, and it was very difficult for me. I love my kids, but I felt alienated and depressed when I didn’t have a career’, she told MyLifeTime in 2013, adding that she felt ‘a better parent’ for working.

Life On Set

To end up in the entertainment world was unexpected for Brandi and Jarrod. He was first approached during an auction by some A&E producers, but it wasn’t until “Storage Wars” was shooting in his store that he was asked about Brandi: ‘They asked me, ‘Who’s the girl up front? Would she mind being on TV?’,’ he affirmed in an interview with Orange County Register.

Unsurprisingly, the show’s rising success had many effects on their private life. Their lifestyle was ‘uplifted’ in the financial sense, but it also put their relationship in a bad place: ‘When we were first starting out, we would have rock-star fights! It was exhausting, so we had to make the decision not to bring what happened on the show home’, as Brandi confessed to MyLifeTime.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLdZnT7BEpS/

Though both ultimately grew used to fame, they weren’t on great terms with some of their fellow “Storage Wars” stars. As Brandi told The Saline Courier in 2019: ‘We’re not buddies. We don’t go hang out afterwards’, but some of her relationships on set are better than others. For one, she hasn’t refrained from describing her former co-star Dave Hester a ‘real jerk’, while also admitting Mary Padian is her ‘forever friend’.

Scandal & Lawsuit

Unsurprisingly, the entertainment world sometimes brings too many enduring situations to those involved with it. As it happens, in 2012 a website called Is Anyone Up shared an adult video claiming Brandi starred in it, even tagging her on Twitter.

As court papers stated, Brandi was ‘horrified, hurt and ashamed’ to see the website’s content, as not only was it false, but also deeply ill-intentioned. She didn’t take long to file a lawsuit against the web’s owner Hunter Moore, who she claimed fabricated the photographs and videos: ‘Passante never made any such video, has never had any contact with Mr. Moore, and did not send him sexual images’, the lawsuit’s papers read, which also stated that Brandi had suffered emotional distress product of the whole situation.

Despite the gruesome nature of the situation, Brandi fortunately found justice, as in July 2013 Brandi won the lawsuit. Though she wasn’t granted the $2.5 million in damages, Moore was obligated to delete the content from his website, pay her court fees, and fined an unrevealed amount for trademark infringement. As expected, Moore wasn’t very happy about the verdict, and even bad mouthed her on social media, but ultimately had to accept the decision.

Staging Allegations

Brandi Passante doesn’t have a good relationship with her former co-star Dave Hester, though their beef goes beyond their on-screen rivalry. Although Dave’s personality was often deemed as problematic by other “Storage Wars” cast members, in 2012 his popularity hit rock bottom when he slashed against the network, resulting in his firing.

Storage Wars star Brandi Passante has lost her fans as allegations against her turned out to be true. She even admitted that she has "no regrets"

— TeddyFeed (@TeddyFeed) December 8, 2021

Dave later filed a lawsuit against A&E, saying he didn’t want to be part of the ‘charade’ that was the show, claiming it was fake and producers ‘regularly plant valuable items or memorabilia’, in addition to allegedly faking the entire content of some storage rooms, in addition to accusing them of unfair business practices and wrongful termination.

Although the issue was resolved under unrevealed terms and Dave took his place back in the show for the fifth season, Brandi didn’t stay quiet about the situation, and denied Dave’s claims: ‘They’re public auctions. It would be collusion, which is against the law, to tamper with any of the storage units’, she told The Sun.

While she affirmed some storage units weren’t featured in the show for lacking interesting articles, that didn’t mean that the show was faked, though it’s well known that the skepticism regarding the show and many other reality TV projects is unavoidable.

In the end, Brandi did well at defending “Storage Wars”, as she is as committed to it as she is with her businesses, and most importantly with family.

Classic car flipping shows are always a sight to behold, and “FantomWorks” isn’t an exception. Ever since it premiered in 2013 on MotorTrend, Dan Short and his expert team truly showed us what it meant to give old cars a new life.

Though it’s been a while since “FantomWorks” left TV screens for sure, the show’s incredible success made it unforgettable, including its stars.

So whatever is going on with “FantomWorks” nowadays? Is the business still open, or has Dan moved out to another field? What was the reason the show was canceled, and is there any chance of it returning? Keep with us to know it all!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymgAKL_dC4M

Is The Business Active Nowadays?

Although “FantomWorks” was canceled a couple of years ago, the business of the same name around which the show was centered is still active. As seen on its official Facebook page, the automotive shop continues actively restoring classic cars, besides offering some other products such as stamp equipment rental, and an online shop for car accessories and clothing.

https://www.facebook.com/FantomWorks/posts/5773973602619069

As well, FantomWorks doesn’t stay away from attending important events in the automotive field, such as the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) which actually showcased the shop’s work in their educational online show “ARMO Builder Series” in 2021. The same year, FantomWorks also joined the Amphicar Swim-in show in Ohio.

All in all, FantomWorks seems to be doing business as always, and fortunately their work flow hasn’t slowed down much despite the end of the show.

What Happened To Dan Short?

Just like his shop, Dan Short hasn’t slowed down one bit when it comes to business, but also keeps trying new ways to uplift FantomWorks in the best way possible. Back in 2015, he started FantomWorks YouTube channel, but the account was barely active while the show aired on MotorTrend.

However, even since the cancellation, Dan has been promoting his shop’s endeavors on the video platform, sharing content about the garage’s activities, tours, and even holding question and answer sessions. FantomWorks’ other social media accounts are also quite active, gathering over 100,000 followers thanks to his efforts.

Check out the FantomWorks YouTube to see our latest video. https://t.co/lzApSjaYza

— FantomWorks (@FantomWorks) September 23, 2021

While not a lot about Dan’s personal life is known, his social media has shown us his marriage with Melissa is going on strongly.

Why Was The Show Canceled?

Once one of the most successful of MotorTrend’s restoration shows, a lot of people were flabbergasted when “FantomWorks” was canceled back in 2019 after the eighth season wrapped up.

What many people don’t know is that the end of “FantomWorks” was a matter of mutual agreement between Dan Short and MotorTrend. As Dan wrote in an open letter in early 2019, many difficulties related to production processes and extremely demanding work schedules, made continuing with the show an impossible mission. On top of it all, Dan affirmed the show had got him and his wife into millionaire debt for affording production costs.

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With the support of his staff and family, in 2017 Dan finally told MotorTrend about wanting to quit. However, that didn’t become a reality until two years later, when the show ended for good: ‘As the cameras are now closing out the final segments of filming, the crew’s morale has skyrocketed, and the love of building cars is effervescent again’, as he described the experience.

Although the personal and financial problems caused by the show weren’t easily dismissed, Dan admitted his only ‘regret’ about “FantomWorks” end was to say goodbye to his loyal viewers: ‘I’ve traveled the globe and been truly delighted and humbled by meeting so many people who have openly expressed their love of our the shop and the show’.

Production Issues

More often than not, the off-camera details are kept a secret when it comes to reality TV. However, in the case of Dan Short, he was fortunately sincere enough to tell his followers what was really happening on the show’s set, right before it ended.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7_pBMZJCli/

As described by himself, the “FantomWorks” production was extremely difficult, even though his team kept up ‘the utmost professionalism’ while it aired. Schedules were a huge energy drain for him and his team, as the show filmed for over 12 hours a day, six days a week.

Since the show’s premiere in 2013 to its end, “FantomWorks” had six producers, who tried to keep a sense of order, while the shop worked on over 60 projects at the same time: ‘Car restorations that averaged almost two years were a reality, while we had to display ‘continuity’ during the builds, so it looked like they were seamlessly done in only days’, as Dan wrote on his website.

I can't say enough how honored I am by the response we've received over the last few months about our show finishing. We've received thousands of heartfelt letters, emails, messages, and phone calls. I'm overwhelmed.

— FantomWorks (@FantomWorks) January 31, 2019

Although the business increased its turnover thanks to the show, it also meant work overload, and becoming the subject of people who allegedly wanted to take advantage of the shop’s increasing fame.

All in all, “FantomWorks” was an amazing show through and through, but keeping it on air became an uphill road for its cast.

What Happened To His Charity?

One of the most famous scandals in which Dan Short was involved is that of his charity, Wounded Wheels. As it happens, the non-profit was founded in the early 2010s and was featured a couple of times in the show, particularly showcasing the build of a 1970 Chevy Chevelle with wheelchair access and other commodities for disabled people.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BleTlaolERI

The organization stated its mission as a means to help veterans wounded in battle, to access vehicles fit for paraplegic needs, listing research and development as its goals. However, the real issue came in 2015, when the then-current Virginia Senator Mark Warner raised concerns regarding the $90,000 in donations received by Wounded Wheels in the course of four years, as the non-profit hadn’t delivered any cars at the time.

Besides the lack of justification regarding the money’s usage, other issues concerning the Chevelle’s safety were reported by the Virginian Pilot, after interviewing former FantomWorks employees. The article was strongly criticized by Wounded Wheels, stating the lack of donations put the organization at risk: ‘A quadriplegic accessible car will cost over $200K, of which only $32K exists in the Wounded Wheels bank account’.

While it’s unknown where Warner’s investigation led to, Wounded Wheels’ social media accounts haven’t been updated since 2017, and its website is no longer active, leaving us to think that the non-profit was eventually shut down.

Lawsuit

Truth be told, no show would be successful if its cast hadn’t been involved in a legal matter at some point. For FantomWorks and Dan Short, said incident occurred in 2012, when Richard and Cynthia Owens commissioned the restoration of a 1960 Ford Thunderbird to FantomWorks.

Upon inspection, Dan calculated the total restoration costs at $40,000, but a written contract was never signed. The Owens paid $30,000 split in half, though later Dan offered to buy a ‘donor car’ which would apparently provide an engine and other parts for a lower price. Said donor car turned out to be a $6,000 2001 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, damaged in an accident, amounting to a final price of $38,093.48 which the Owens agreed with.

Despite Dan suggesting a couple of fixings to the car’s interior later on, the relationship between both parts was on good terms, until Cynthia apparently threatened to sue Dan short through email if he didn’t provide ‘extensive documentation of all costs for parts and labor’ about the job, leading Dan to stop the work done on the car until sorting out the issue. Not long afterwards, the Owens sued Dan and FantomWorks for breach of contract, but the case was won by him in 2014.

Beginnings

As with most people in the automotive business, Dan Short’s love for cars started when he was a little kid. As he told the Virginian Pilot, he was five years old when he saw a 1967 Camaro, and became completely enamored with it, never forgetting that certain incident, even though he wasn’t really conscious of his love for cars until later in life: ‘I really didn’t start tinkering with cars much until I was about 15 or 16, and I just started playing. I didn’t have the money’.

In 1979 Dan enlisted into the US Army at 17 years old, which allowed him to finally buy his first car at 19 years old. That 1967 Camaro was where everything started, as it made him think about vehicles more than he ever did, even though his responsibilities in the Army were about ‘demolitions and medicine and weapons’. As he recalled in the interview, he would show up to work with grease on his hands, attracting mocking from his fellow soldiers, and sometimes putting his work in health at risk.

As a Green Beret, Dan was deployed very often, using his scarce free time in working on cars, learning as much as he could by self-learning, classes and other methods: ‘I hung out in shops, and helped out guys for free if they would teach me how to do stuff’, he affirmed.

How Did FantomWorks Start?

As if it wasn’t obvious enough, Dan Short’s passion and commitment with cars led to incredible results. Though his career in the military taught him great lessons, and even led him to meet his Marine future wife Melissa, the truth is that his time there made him realize he wanted to do something else with his life.

It occurred to him that he wanted to establish his own company, regardless of barely knowing how it could be possible: ‘It’s one thing to build cars as a hobby. It’s another thing to run 75 cars at a time through a business. It’s a completely different world’, he told the Virginian Pilot.

With his then-vast knowledge in cars, and testing his luck in the business field, in 2006 Dan finally established FantomWorks in Norfolk, Virginia., with the mission to ‘provide superior quality craftsmanship, old fashioned customer service, and complete upfront honesty’, as its website states. FantomWorks’ most special build offs start with a drawing, and result in a special, gorgeous classic car, which Dan affirms is a rarity to find in the automotive world: ‘There’s not 10 shops in the world that have ever even done that’.

While the work delivered by FantomWorks amounts to 1,000 hours of labor at minimum, it’s undeniable that Dan and his team’s passion is what primarily makes such a feat possible.

How Much Does It Cost?

Many people wonder how much a FantomWorks’ project costs, but the answer varies depending on what the work entails. Parts and material are usually included in the initial estimations for every car, but even though the former usually amounts to 25% of the total costs, and could even be lowered by using what’s already in the car, the final price is strongly affected by materials and labor costs.

While FantomWorks’ labor rates are often questioned by online users, given the lack of clear estimates in this regard, the truth is that most projects done in the shop usually cost thousands each. As Dan once said in an interview, their most ambitious builds could cost from $250,000 to $500,000, but those are very rare.

How Does It Work?

Although it’s unknown how FantomWorks’ processes went before TV fame increased their workflow, nowadays the shop only accepts projects by appointments. As it’s usual in any body shop, some restorations are only effectively calculated after the team inspects it, but other times the cost is calculated after half of the work has been already done, such is the case of rust repairs.

This is Sal's Cobra. I think it's the greatest paint scheme I've ever seen on a snake. What do you think? We just finished this one. Please ignore the dust, it was still in build here. pic.twitter.com/ULZ5uoq9bN

— FantomWorks (@FantomWorks) January 31, 2019

Even if working this way might not be everyone’s cup of tea, Dan proudly considers the work done in the shop worth the money and wait: ‘Even the minor stuff that we do is extensive, more extensive than any garage in town will do’, he admitted, while also pointing out that no FantomWorks’ project is done half-assedly. When his team builds, they commit to complete a restoration through and through, even manufacturing the necessary parts and fully leading its assembly.

The work done by FantomWorks mostly comes from the local area, but even in its beginnings, the shop received a considerable number of projects submitted by national and international customers, though that quantity surely increased as their MotorTrend’s show gained fame.

Despite the shop’s demanding work schedules, and the hardships it endured while the “FantomWorks” show aired, the business stayed alive thanks to Dan’s deep love for it, admittedly considering it ‘the most important thing in the world’, second only to his family.