"Storage Wars" star Jarrod Schulz and former "American Idol" contestant Doug Kiker are both facing accusations of domestic violence in two separate incidents that emerged over the weekend.
The first incident, involving Schulz and his ex-girlfriend Brandi Passante, took place on April 30, TMZ reported on Sunday. Passante, who shares two children with Schulz, was at a California bar with friends when the reality TV star showed up at the venue, according to the report.
The two got into a heated exchange and Schulz allegedly began yelling at Passante then pushed her twice, TMZ noted. Police were summoned to the Orange County venue, but Schulz had already left. After interviewing Passante, law enforcement tracked him down but he denied the allegations. Schulz was later charged with one count of misdemeanor domestic violence battery.
Kiker was arrested on Thursday for domestic violence in Alabama, a spokesperson at the Mobile Sheriff's Office has confirmed to Fox News. Details surrounding the incident are vague, but according to the report, it involved Kiker and an adult woman. The nature of their relationship is unknown.
Kiker, known as the "singing garbageman," appeared on Season 18 of "American Idol." He first gained attention for his audition performance of "Bless the Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts. Kiker was new to the stage but, although he was eliminated, he returned for a remote finale in which he performed a virtual duet with Rascal Flatts, Yahoo! Entertainment reported. He later spoke of how his appearance in the competition series gave him the confidence to realize his dreams.
"The sky’s the limit, man! Y’all got me feeling that way," he said. "I finally believe in myself enough to actually sing in front of people."
Meanwhile, Schulz and Passante, who share two children, were featured together in 13 seasons of "Storage Wars." They announced their breakup earlier this year.
"I'm not with Jarrod anymore," Passante told viewers on the show's Season 13 debut last month, adding that they had split in November 2018, according to Daily Mail.
Schulz also spoke about their breakup.
"Just because me and Brandi aren't together anymore, doesn't mean we can't go to an auction — but separately," he said.
Earlier this year, Passante spoke about her relationship status during an appearance on the Spirit Talk YouTube channel. During the interview, she revealed that she was seeing "no one in particular."
"I wasn't really allowed to have an identity for many, many years," she said. "And so these last couple of years, I'm kind of coming into my own and figuring out who I am. I just don't have an attachment to anyone. 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."
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Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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