Dispute between Dolly Parton's estate and nephew spills out in court
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The company overseeing Dolly Parton's business interests sued her nephew and longtime head of security Bryan Seaver on Tuesday, accusing him of mounting a "campaign of threats, intimidation, and coercion" that included a "pay-me-or-else threat."
- Seaver said his comments had been presented out of context and dismissed the suit as a "publicity stunt" in a statement to ABC News on Wednesday, adding that he "never threatened anyone."
Why it matters: The lawsuit offers a dramatic glimpse at an internal struggle between the people and businesses entrusted with Parton's professional legacy and the family member she hand-picked to announce the news of her death.
Driving the news: The company created to manage Parton's business interests — She's Alive, LLC — sued Seaver in Davidson County Chancery Court.
- The company, which is overseen by Parton's long-time manager, Danny Nozell, asked for a restraining order that would require Seaver to stay at least 1,000 feet from its employees and associates.
The latest: Chancellor I'Ashea L. Myles on Wednesday granted a temporary restraining order while the legal battle plays out, writing that the evidence showed Seaver had "repeatedly invoked his claimed access to weapons, experience with violence, and intention to retaliate."
Zoom in: The filings include screenshots of alleged text messages between Seaver and Nozell. The suit claims that Seaver said he would "destroy the entire brand" and go after business partnerships tied to Dollywood.
- The complaint alleges that Seaver threatened to launch a podcast "dedicated to ruining Dolly's brand partnerships," adding: "Or f—g pay me."
- Seaver also allegedly referenced experience as a military contractor and his access to weapons, at one point allegedly describing himself as an "international arms dealer and mercenary."
- In a Sept. 3 email to Parton's entertainment attorney, Seaver allegedly wrote, "I'm not an entertainment person. I'm a killer."
The other side: Seaver downplayed his comments in a statement to TMZ, saying "nothing in this lawsuit were threats and most of the comments I stand by."
- "A lot of these messages are two guys having rage talk and crying on the phone together while we were grieving," Seaver said.
- He said the remark about attacking business entities referred to a particular company he believed had mistreated Parton.
Between the lines: Seaver's mother is Parton's sister Cassie. He managed security for Parton and her personal properties through his company, Squadron Augmented Protection Services, until he was terminated by She's Alive on Sept. 16 due to what the suit describes as "terrorizing conduct."
- "Ms. Parton loved and cared for her family very deeply," the lawsuit says. "Throughout her life and career, it was important to her to employ her family members when they had skillsets compatible with her business needs."
- Seaver's father previously handled Parton's security.
Parton's other relatives had not publicly mentioned any estate disputes before the court filing. In a social media post Wednesday, Parton's sister Freida said no one within the family "is fighting over Dolly's estate."
- "We all love Bryan, just as we love each other," she said.
State of play: She's Alive claims Seaver's comments have already affected the business. The suit says an attorney tied to Parton's estate has withdrawn and other employees have resigned or stopped coming to the office.
- The company says it fired Seaver earlier this month and hired private security to protect personnel.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that a judge issued a temporary restraining order.