The Biggest Storage Wars Rumors Fully Explained
A captivating blend of reality television, competition, and bargain hunting, "Storage Wars" became an international sensation after debuting in December 2010. The basis of the program involves individual groups of buyers contending to capture the biggest treasure from real-world unclaimed storage lockers. The A&E series has shown no signs of low-bidding itself, recently releasing Season 15 and headlining an entire franchise of spin-offs, including "Storage Wars: Canada" and "Storage Wars France." Meanwhile, the show has spawned an entire community of storage auction enthusiasts hoping to catch the next big prize out of an abandoned locker.
Regardless of the ongoing "Storage Wars" success, there continue to be several rumors about how the show is produced and the authenticity of the auctions portrayed on screen. Subsequently, many of the show's stars have been launched into the limelight and had their own mill of allegations brought upon them. Fans can seemingly never get enough of the drama taking place on "Storage Wars," whether it happens on the show or behind the scenes. Below, we will look at some of the wildest theories surrounding the A&E reality series and discover which ones are hits and which ones are misses. These are the biggest "Storage Wars" rumors fully explained.
Why did Dave Hester leave the show?
"Yuuup!" Love to hate him, Dave Hester is one of the show's most disruptive personalities. Part of the original "Storage Wars" cast, Hester established himself as "The Mogul," flaunting some of the largest purchases and embracing the role of villain for the competitors and audience alike. He maintained the bad guy role over the first three seasons, becoming a rival to nearly every other treasure hunter along the way. However, in 2012, Hester became the enemy not just for his castmates, but for the entire series.
As one of the most prominent figures in the show, it was a shock for fans when Hester disappeared in "Storage Wars" Season 3. Amidst the conflict that Hester commonly provoked, it was natural for audiences to speculate that he was fired due to an altercation. However, the real reason was far more problematic. Hester filed a wrongful termination lawsuit in 2012, claiming that he was sacked after complaining to producers about allegedly planting treasures in the televised storage units. Among his multiple claims, Hester posited that A&E was conducting unfair business practices and was in breach of his contract by dismissing him.
Ultimately, the bidder and the network settled out of court. "Storage Wars" kept its secrets, thanks to freedom of expression laws under the protection of the First Amendment. Subsequently, Hester returned to the series in Season 5, remaining a regular contestant until 2018 when he suffered a near-fatal stroke.
Are some items planted in the lockers?
Of Dave Hester's most prominent claims from his 2012 lawsuit was the allegation that the producers of "Storage Wars" were intentionally placing objects in the auctioned units for contestants to find, sometimes going "so far as to stage entire storage units" (via ABC). Treasures of high quality are the focal point for many viewers. However, if the show was intentionally planting the bidders' greatest finds, it would greatly diminish the authenticity.
Some of the high-ticket items Hester claims were planted by producers include a BMW mini car and relic newspapers from the announcement of Elvis Presley's death. However, despite being one of the biggest rumors about the series, no proof has surfaced regarding the source of the supposedly forged finds, nor has the claim been disproven. In 2021, Brandi Passante defended the show in an interview with Distractify, saying, "They're public auctions. It would be collusion, which is against the law, to tamper with any of the storage units prior to [the auction]," she said, "because anyone can come to these auctions."
Meanwhile, executive producer Thom Beers had this to say during a National Geographic panel (via Reality Blurred): "I can honestly tell you that the stuff found in those containers are found in storage containers." Regardless, the rumor of the lockers being faked has remained a blemish on the entire "Storage Wars" franchise.
Is the series completely scripted?
The planting of valuable items is a rumor that "Storage Wars" viewers could easily shrug off, as the treasures remain interesting regardless of their source. However, there's more to Dave Hester's claims of legitimacy that could impact "Storage Wars" as a reality series. In Hester's 2012 lawsuit claiming that the program was fake, the high-balling bidder revealed that many of the interviews showcased on the series are scripted ahead of time.
Surprisingly, "Storage Wars" executive producer Thom Beers was far less ambiguous about the show having writers than he was about staging the storage units. In the same National Geographic panel reported on by Reality Blurred where he denied the planting claims, he was questioned about feeding the stars scripted content. "I have to admit: There's some writing involved," he said. "We do it in 'Storage Wars,' we do it in 'America's Lost Treasures.' ... I'm so tired of narration driving story."
The long-time producer of many reality shows, including "Deadliest Catch" and "Ice Road Truckers," went on to admit that the "Storage Wars" cast is served about half of their lines. "It is a set-up," Beers said, explaining that scripts are used to help the producers tell the tales that are naturally taking place. "It didn't push the story. The story is the story." Truthfully, the show having writers isn't all that surprising considering that the A&E series isn't exactly hiring the most esteemed actors to fill out the cast.
Even more cast members were rumored to be fired
Have you ever wondered why certain episodes of "Storage Wars" omit some of the most popular cast members? A custom for many seasons now, every episode features a collection of bidders, but they aren't always the same group. However, when A&E first implemented this practice of cutting out certain cast members, it caused an uproar.
One of the biggest targets of the cutbacks was series regular Darrell Sheets. Known as "The Gambler," Sheets was first omitted from episodes in Season 3, much to the bidder's surprise. Even more concerning for the storage collector was the 50% pay cut from $30,000 to $15,000 per episode reportedly offered to him for his next round of bidding. The Gambler apparently fought the pay decrease and threatened to leave the show, fearing he would be fired anyway. Thankfully, Sheets and A&E settled the dispute behind the scenes and he remained with the series until retiring in 2018.
The same story did not play out so well for his son, Brandon Sheets, who was fired from "Storage Wars" ahead of Season 10. After spending much of the series assisting his father in clearing out auctioned units, Brandon was inexplicably cut out of the show. The junior Gambler wasn't happy about the dismissal, turning to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, and writing, "Funny how [A&E] fired me for lack of budget, but they still have their people follow me on social media and want me to do free stuff."
Did Brandi Passante make an X-rated video?
One of the most cherished treasure hunters for audiences of "Storage Wars" is Brandi Passante. The only original female bidder on the series, Passante sought big prizes alongside her former partner Jarrod Schulz. Ahead of the show's premiere, A&E intended on Schulz being his own star, until they met Passante at the couple's former thrift shop, Now and Then in Orange County. Between being represented as the underdogs and showcasing their relatable banter throughout multiple episodes, Passante and Schulz separated themselves from the pack as fan-favorites, being dubbed "The Young Guns."
Unfortunately, fame quickly turned sour for Passante after an alleged sex video of her began spreading through the dark corners of the Internet. Tracking the source of the video to a particular adult website, Passante filed a lawsuit against the site's operator, Hunter Moore, in 2012, per Us Magazine. The "Storage Wars" star sought over $2.5 million in "actual and exemplary damages." However, while a judge did rule that the video was a fake interpretation of her likeness, he did not agree to that calculation of damages. In the end, Passante was awarded the marginal sum of $750 as well as attorney fees. Meanwhile, Moore was ordered to "remove any remaining and undisclosed content of [the] video from all websites."
How tumultuous was Jarrod and Brandi's break-up?
Apart from the stimulating discoveries and ample competition, one of the biggest draws for "Storage Wars" viewers is the reality-based drama. So, naturally, when it came to light that beloved life partners Brandi Passante and Jarrod Schulz had separated, it created a slurry of rumors. The couple had two children together but never officially married. Still, their relationship was a highlight for A&E, who gave them their own spin-off series in 2014, "Brandi and Jarrod: Married to the Job." Understandably, it was a shock for audiences when Season 13 of "Storage Wars" premiered in April 2021 and was kicked off with Passante saying, "I'm not with Jarrod anymore."
At the time, "Storage Wars" hadn't aired since 2019, taking a break amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. So it was even more surprising to discover that Passante and Schulz had been separated for nearly two years already. The pair remained with the A&E series, choosing to bid separately on storage lockers throughout the season. Despite becoming competitors, audience speculation was that their break-up was amicable and without drama. That was until news broke in April 2021 that Schulz had been charged with domestic violence against Passante following an altercation at a bar in Orange County (per TMZ).
A&E followed suit by launching their own investigation into the event, which is rumored, but not confirmed, to be the reason Schulz has been absent from "Storage Wars" since Season 14.
Who is paying for the lockers?
Although there are multiple speculations surrounding the legitimacy of "Storage Wars," there's one thing that hasn't come up for debate: The show films at real-world auctions that anyone can attend. Regardless of the public setting, the series does a good job of avoiding putting the locals on screen. However, the bystanders have an equal right to bid on the same lockers as the cast and could theoretically leave the television stars empty-handed — and by association, the show without any content.
Positioned with a possible goose egg, it's speculated that A&E fronts its bidders with a near-limitless budget to ensure they have the final bid. Dave Hester's notorious lawsuit against the network also posited that some bidders were gifted pocket money to help even the odds against wealthier competitors. Truthfully, none of these rumors have ever been substantiated. In fact, the network does have an answer to making sure its stars have the biggest budgets: It pays them extremely well. While some reports say that the cast was earning $2,000 per episode in Season 1, some have come to reveal that they have made upwards of $25K per episode in recent years. Over the course of a 36-episode season, there's no doubt the "Storage Wars" stars have plenty of moolah to work with.
Are some of the auctions completely fake?
Returning to Dave Hester's laundry list of allegations against "Storage Wars," one such accusation was directed at the auction process as it's portrayed on screen. The Mogul claimed that some of the real-world auctions aren't even real. Per Business Insider, his 2012 complaint read, "Defendants (A&E) also film footage of the cast members and the public bidding when no actual auction is taking place in order to make it appear that any of the cast members is bidding at any given auction." Understandably, the network would want audiences to believe that its headliners are in constant competition, even when they're not. By hosting a fake auction, the producers could get footage of any bidding war they wish.
Alternatively, from the filmmaker's standpoint, there are several reasons why an auction would require another take, including editing out footage of locals who don't want to appear on screen. One bystander recalled attending a taping of "Storage Wars: Texas" and shared their experience on the site Self-Storage Talk. Apart from being required to cover any logos potentially appearing on clothing and having the auction process take extra long due to filming, they detailed how the production process worked. After one of the show's paid bidders won any public auction, the crowd would be shuffled to the back. A fake re-auction would then be filmed involving only the stars of the program.
Did A&E pay for a cast member's plastic surgery?
As if he was attempting to outbid himself, Dave Hester had one final scathing accusation in his 2012 wrongful termination lawsuit. This time, however, he was seemingly targeting one of his "Storage Wars" castmates. "Nearly every aspect of the series is faked," the Mogul wrote, per Business Insider. "Even down to the plastic surgery that one of the female cast members underwent in order to create more 'sex appeal' for the show."
Apart from being one of only two women on the show at the time, Brandi Passante was called out for being the victim of the attack. According to the tabloid publication National Enquirer, one unnamed source claimed that "Brandi lost about 15 pounds from one season to the next and is now wearing tighter-fitting clothes to show off her amazing curves."
Although not directly addressing the claim, Passante has since denied claims of having any work done. Questioned on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) about possible breast augmentation, Passante responded, "'Are the boobies fake?' No jacka**." Hilariously, the treasure hunter similarly denied other rumors, including that she was a former exotic dancer and had toe fingers –- whatever that means.
Are the appraisals accurate?
Value is subjective, especially when it comes to items that are rare or don't have a price tag. As such, there's a lot of trust put into the "Storage Wars" bidders who estimate the amount of money they'll potentially earn from each item in a storage unit. Nearly every viewer of the show has yelled at their screens at one point or another, declaring that they would never pay $20 for a broken chair or a used hair dryer.
To add legitimacy to the estimated value of some of the bigger prizes, the show typically spends the third act of each episode on appraisals from experts. Still, when it comes to the storage hunter's cost evaluations for the rest of their goods, nobody's buying their junk. Entire Reddit threads have popped up over the years to bring this issue into question. Sadly, fans may never know if Dave Hester can actually sell a lamp for whatever price he makes up in his head.
Are storage auctions really that profitable?
Without a doubt, the most significant rumor given birth from the success of "Storage Wars" is that there's consistent and significant profitability in storage auctions. There have been some big payouts on "Storage Wars," including a $90,000 toy collection and a $300,000 art show. However, even the winners of those life-changing prizes will admit that the auction game is always a gamble. The truth of the matter is that anything could be sitting in those lockers, including empty boxes.
Still, after "Storage Wars" first began airing in 2010, the idea that anyone could come into possession of a modern treasure trove created a strange kind of gold rush. "Everybody thinks there's treasure in the units," an owner of a self-storage facility said during a 2011 interview with National Post. "We're having over twice as many people come to the auctions now as they did a year ago."
While a hoard of gamblers may have descended on storage auctions amidst the height of "Storage Wars" popularity, there are communities of people who try to make a living from the modern-day treasure hunt –- or at least a good side hustle.
Did Barry Weiss pass away?
It's worth arguing that "Storage Wars" may not have been the monumental hit that it was without the eccentric original cast member Barry Weiss. With a big personality and even larger antics -– like bidding at a storage auction while blindfolded –- Weiss brought a lovable charm to the entire series. A hunter of antiques since he was 15 years old, he was undoubtedly the most seasoned buyer on the reality program, earning him the nickname "The Collector." Unabashedly, Weiss commonly explained how he was less in the storage auction game to turn a profit and more to chase unique and rare finds. His charisma and eye for goods even earned him two short-lived spin-off series, "Barry'd Treasure" and "Storage Wars: Barry Strikes Back."
However, much to fans' disappointment, the auction hunter disappeared from "Storage Wars" following the end of his spin-offs. Rumors of Weiss' death spread quickly to explain his sudden absence. Adding fuel to the speculation, Weiss was in a severe motorcycle accident in 2019, which resulted in him being hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. Thankfully, the Collector survived his three-month hospital visit. Weiss made his long-awaited return to "Storage Wars" proper for the Season 14 premiere and has since remained a regular bidder.