The Complete Transformation Of Brandi Passante

If you've ever seen the hit A&E show "Storage Wars," which hit the air in 2010 and began its 16th season in June 2025, you definitely know who Brandi Passante is. As one of the original cast members and the only woman on the show for a while, Passante has more than left her mark on the series' success. In a candid conversation with Screen Rant around the Season 16 premiere, she admitted that being one of the few women storage locker auctioneers hasn't always been easy. "I definitely have to be, you know, a lot tougher because it's a predominantly male-dominated, you know, business. But, it's a good thing ... to learn to play with the big boys," she told the outlet.

Like any woman in a male-dominated industry, Passante has paved the way for others out there who want to follow in her footsteps. Proving that she can successfully do anything she sets her mind to, Passante has won over the hearts of viewers with her dedication and engaging personality. She's spent a decade and a half in the spotlight, and as such, Passante has undergone numerous private and professional changes since the show began — from relationship ebbs and flows to striking style and hair evolutions — which we're taking a closer look at here.

When we first saw Brandi Passante on A&E's "Storage Wars" in 2010, it was clear that the show was going to be a success. Sure, the concept was great, and all of the cast members were a good fit — but as the only woman on the show, Passante was quickly able to gain a fan base. At the time, Passante was in a relationship with Jarrod Schulz, another prominent cast member. The two met in 1999 at a job — they both worked for a carpet-cleaning business — and by the time "Storage Wars" premiered, they had two kids, a daughter named Payton and a son named Cameron.

In the early 2010s, Passante's fashion was the epitome of the girl next door. Skinny jeans and cute tops were wardrobe staples for her, and highlights in her hair helped enhance her sun-kissed skin. Passante's makeup was always eye-focused — it was the most common makeup trend of the time, after all — and her accessories were simple and minimal. One thing that became instantly noticeable about Passante was that she wouldn't sacrifice comfort for fashion. The television star ensured she always looked put-together and cute since she was in the public eye now, but in her rigorous line of work, comfort remained a priority.

By 2012, "Storage Wars" had become a huge hit, and it was clear that the show would have numerous seasons ahead of it. For Brandi Passante, this meant that red carpets and industry events became regular occurrences, and with that, we got to see Passante lean into more glamorous and fun fashion. One of her red-carpet staples was the colorful bodycon dress — every girl's night-out staple from the early- to mid-2010s. In fact, while fashion has mostly moved on from this trend, we still believe that a good bodycon dress is one of the types of dresses everyone should own. For an A&E event in May 2013, Passante opted for a royal-blue bodycon dress with delicate black-and-white swirls along the sides. If you ask us, this look is perfection, and Passante looked stunning in it.

Passante also opened up about her private life some during this period. In a 2013 episode of "Storage Wars," Passante answered a fan question about her relationship. "How long have you been married to Jared?" a fan asked on X, formerly known as Twitter, to which Passante replied, "Not married [but] together for 14 years" (via Starcasm). Thankfully for eager fans, everyone got to see Passante andJarrod Schulz's dynamic firsthand due to them both being regulars on the show.

By the mid-2010s, Brandi Passante and Jarrod Schulz were so popular on "Storage Wars" that they ended up with their own reality show titled "Brandi & Jarrod: Married to the Job." While they were undeniably hoping for major success — after all, that was the golden era of reality television — their show flopped, and it was canceled after just one season.

Luckily, "Storage Wars" was still a major success, which meant that all eyes were still on Passante. We can't help but notice that Passante's approach to fashion became a bit more experimental and fearless after a few years in the spotlight. While she still followed an overall safe route, she surprised us with looks we hadn't expected every now and then. In October 2014, Passante and her partner attended a Professional Bull Riders event, and for the occasion, she decided to let loose and have fun with her accessories. The base of her look was a stunning boho minidress, which she accessorized with a braided brown belt, statement hoop earrings, and a cowboy hat. The hat served not only as a focal point of her look but also as a relic of the time, as cowboy hats were everywhere during this period. Of course, we know now that the country-Western aesthetic is the fashion gift that keeps on giving thanks in part to Beyoncé, and frankly, we can see this specific outfit being worn to Coachella.

As a couple that works in reality television together, Jarrod Schulz and Brandi Passante often got asked about each other. In August 2016, Inquirer.net asked Schulz what he thought of his partner's cooking, to which he replied, "Brandi is an amazing cook," adding, "Believe it or not, before we got together, I didn't even put salt in my food. For me, food was something you ate so you could go on living. It wasn't something to enjoy."

Throughout 2016 and 2017, Passante was very active on social media, providing her fans with an even closer look into her personal life. The reality star often featured her children on her accounts, showcasing that she spends quite a bit of time with them despite her busy schedule. For instance, in April 2016, Passante took her son to see Chewbacca from "Star Wars," and she documented the experience on Instagram. 

Through social media, we also got to see more of Passante's everyday style, as the television star posted images of herself rocking cute looks. Then in the second half of her 30s, Passante's fashion experienced a subtle shift: Gone were the tight minidresses, as the mother of two embraced the power of longer, fuller dresses that were undoubtedly more comfortable.

Brandi Passante's life changed a lot in 2018, as the television star parted ways with her longtime partner, Jarrod Schulz. Both kept the details of their breakup private, but we do know that Passante gained full custody of their children. Years later, Passante told A&E that taking care of her children occupied a large portion of her life, so much so that when they grew up, she found herself with lots of free time on her hands. "When they were younger and busy with sports, school activities, play dates, and whatever, you're just constantly on the go," Passante explained.

We all know that breakups are tough, and women often lean into physical changes — the most notorious of which being getting bangs — to symbolize new beginnings after they go through one. For Passante, this resulted in dying her hair a vibrant shade of copper red. In fact, the specific shade of her hair was later known as cowboy copper, and it was one of our favorite hair colors for fall 2023. In addition to changing her appearance, Passante prioritized self-care. One example, as seen in an Instagram post from that September, showed her having a girls' night in with face masks. To that, we wholeheartedly say, "Good for her." We could all also take notes from her, as finding a self-care routine that'll actually work with your life is crucial for your overall well-being.

Brandi Passante spent the majority of 2019 doing everything she loves. Seemingly, splitting up from her longtime partner gave Passante the opportunity to spend her time on activities that she really enjoyed, and two that seem to have been at the top of the list that year were hiking during the day and partying at night. Of course, Passante did both in moderation, and on her social media, she continued sharing the highlights of her life.

While she rocked simple and short dresses for her nights out, her go-to attire for hiking consisted of fun slogan tees and leggings, as an Instagram post from that October reveals. Seemingly, the television star found a great balance between a healthy and active lifestyle and having fun, and based on her online activity, Passante seemed to be glowing and truly enjoying her period of self-love and self-growth.

In 2020, the world went into a standstill because of the coronavirus pandemic, and for Brandi Passante — and the rest of the entertainment industry, for that matter — this meant staying at home and spending a lot of time with family. On Instagram, Passante shared her everyday lockdown life, once posting a selfie with stunning hair that April and captioning it, "Having a good hair day on lockdown, is a total d*** move.."

During a February 2021 appearance on the "Spirit Talk Hosted by Shavaun and Sabrina" podcast, Passante revealed that separating from her ex didn't really change much of her day-to-day life, as she was already the more involved parent. "I did a lot of it on my own anyway, but it's the scary dad voice in the background that we're missing," Passante said. On whether she was dating at the time, the reality star admitted that she isn't putting much pressure on herself to find someone. "I just don't have an attachment to anyone," she explained. "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."

The year 2021 brought quite a bit of drama for Brandi Passante, as she and her ex, Jarrod Schulz, had an argument at an Orange County bar in California — and it allegedly ended violently with a shove. As a result, Schulz got a misdemeanor charge (via TMZ).

As the world slowly moved on from the coronavirus pandemic, Passante's children remained her main focus, and she supported them on every occasion. The star often shared glimpses into their accomplishments online. "Please stop the clock... I'm not ready," she wrote in one Instagram post to celebrate her son's high-school graduation in June 2021. "So proud, [and] so fortunate to have these two beautiful, kind, [and] loving souls. I don't know what I did to deserve them. Whatever it was I am grateful."

Outside of her relationships, we have to admit that her fashion choices from this era may have been some of her best yet. For example, a bold, all-over leopard-print look isn't easy to pull off, but Passante rocked it confidently. A simple black dress? Forget about it — Passante found her perfect LBD style and never looked better.

Brandi Passante found love again in her early 40s, as the television star began dating Clifford Beaver. Fans got to meet her new partner in 2023, when Passante began sharing photos with him on social media. Even though the two have kept their relationship rather private, it seems as if they're still together at the time of writing. We can see this in small mentions on social media. For example, on Passante's birthday in May 2025, Beaver shared a heartwarming message on Instagram. "Happy Birthday to my ride or die," he wrote with a few photos of them together, as well as a video of Passante dancing. "I love you like crazy thank you for everything you do for me I can't wait for more birthdays, more laughs, and more fun adventures together I'm so excited to celebrate you."

Style-wise, Passante kept her outfits fun and simple, with black fashion often being her go-to, whether she was at dinner or a more professional event. One thing we couldn't help but notice is that the star also underwent a dramatic hair change. On social media, Passante shared pictures of herself with a lob, aka a longer bob. This is an easygoing cut that added lots of volume and movement to anyone's hair, and it can work really well on folks as they age due it being so voluminous and mesmerizing. In fact, the hairstyle is so popular that we even asked our hairstylist what to ask for at the salon for a sleek, stretched lob.

While we got to know Brandi Passante as a girl next door whose fashion choices were simple and comfortable, it was clear by 2024 that her style had changed a lot over the years. Now, Passante was all about quirky statement pieces and bold looks, though Passante often embraced glitzy fashion to stay true to herself. In December that year, the reality star shared an image of herself posing on a sofa on Instagram, and while her outfit, consisting of skinny jeans and a simple black top, wasn't anything groundbreaking, her pink, glittery boots certainly were. A decade ago, we couldn't have imagined Passante rocking such a dramatic piece with so much confidence, but today, she seems to be all about being fearless and living her best life.

The same could be said for her hair. Passante's hair had striking highlights throughout 2024, with the contrasting brunette and blond shades balancing each other out beautifully. All year long, she looked like she'd just had a fresh blowout when she posted on Instagram, and this trend continued into 2025. 

In May 2025, Brandi Passante turned 45, and she admitted that seeing her children all grown up has been emotional. "My son will be 22 next week. My daughter will be 20 in June," she told A&E early in the year. "At 18, when they're done with school and are going to college, it stops so abruptly," she said, adding, "You suddenly have all this time on your hands and you're like, 'What the hell am I supposed to do now with my time?' I have to keep moving, so I definitely fill my days with work, and that's okay with me. Everybody has their method, but I have all the time in the world to work now.

Luckily, Passante quickly found a new project to occupy her newfound free time. In July 2025, she launched her podcast, "The Real Reality," on which she talks to other famous folks about not only their future career ambitions but also how they've handled fame up until this point. As someone who has been in the reality television industry since 2010, Brandi Passante certainly has a lot to say and contribute to this topic — and we definitely love hearing it.

Now, for more television royalty, check out celebrity cook Rachael Ray's complete transformation, from cute, simple clothes to receiving backlash for not desiring motherhood.