A&E’s Storage Wars, like a lot of other reality TV shows, has dealt with a fair share of people calling it fake.

For years, viewers of the show have been debating about how much of the show is scripted.

And while there have been good arguments from both sides, there have been plenty of clues that point towards Storage Wars being fake.

Is Storage Wars Real?

Storage Wars enjoyed outstanding success ever since its first episode aired on December 1, 2010. 

As newer seasons rolled in, increasingly more viewers tuned in to watch professional buyers visit storage facilities and bid on lockers whose contents no one knew about.

In many episodes, the stars of the show found highly valued treasures, artworks, and memorabilia. And while watching the process was exciting, some viewers started growing skeptical of the show because of how frequent a significant find became.

Soon, many people started digging to figure out the truth about the reality show. And while numerous arguments were made to establish it was fake, there were no convincing proofs.

However, towards the end of 2012, David Hester, one of the show’s most loved stars, filed a lawsuit  against A&E Television Network.

David Hester in 'Storage Wars'

David Hester in 'Storage Wars' (Source: Instagram)

There, he claimed everything about Storage Wars was fake and said he was fired from the show after expressing his discomfort with production staff and the network about staging of items in lockers.

David Hester Spills All

According to legal documents, Hester filed a complaint for wrongful termination in violation of public policy, breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, unfair business practices, and declaratory relief.

Hester revealed the items found in the lockers are staged, claiming A&E filled the storage units brought on the show with “valuable” and “unusual” items to add to the show’s drama.

Aside from faking the contents of the storage units, Hester added that the interviews and auctions were fake, too.

“While on location filming an auction, Defendants (A&E) also film footages of the cast members and the public when no actual auction is taking place,” the document reads.

Hester also alleged that A&E paid for the storage units for those who can’t afford it. The reason behind this, he claimed, was to give the “weaker cast members an advantage over” the more experienced and successful bidders.

He further added that nearly all aspects of the show were faked, saying one of the female cast members underwent plastic surgery to create more “sex appeal” for it.

A&E showrunners denied most of the claims Hester made, but admitted to occasionally combining storage units. The reasons for such actions, according to the showrunners, was to make the episodes more exciting.

Initially, Hester lost the lawsuit because the judge decided all the fakery in the show was “expressive free speech.” However, the judge also added that Hester could refile with more specific accusations.

Hester later refiled the case without the fakery accusations and only made complaints about wrongful terminations. It was finally settled in July 2014 for an undisclosed amount.