His Second Chance
Following his 16-month stint in state prison, Jarrod turned to his family to help him get back on his feet. His aunt showed him around the public storage facility she managed, and later he and Brandi Passante opened up their second hand store Now and Then. He met the show’s producers while it was in the early stages of development when he was looking for pieces to sell at his store.
Free Speech
After Hester filed his lawsuit, A&E hit back by saying that the First Amendment allows them to avoid accusations of falsified storytelling. The judge presiding on the case sided with A&E and said the show falls under the category of “expressive free speech,” which means producers can fabricate certain storylines and get away with it.