Dolly Parton's estate sues fired nephew Bryan Seaver, wins restraining order over alleged threats
Dolly Parton's estate has sued her nephew and former head of security Bryan Seaver, alleging a campaign of threats and coercion — and a judge granted a temporary restraining order on Tuesday. Seaver denies making threats.
Dolly Parton’s estate has sued her nephew Bryan Seaver, accusing the former head of security of threatening the late singer’s business and legacy — and a Tennessee judge granted a temporary restraining order against him on Tuesday, Entertainment Weekly reported.
The complaint was filed by Parton’s longtime manager Danny Nozell on behalf of the estate, known as She’s Alive, LLC, in Davidson County, Tennessee. It accuses Seaver — the son of Parton’s sister Cassie, who guarded her properties for nearly 20 years — of becoming “emboldened” after Parton’s death on 25 August.
According to the estate’s motion for the restraining order, Seaver “began his campaign of threats, intimidation, and coercion a few weeks prior to Ms. Parton’s passing,” and in writing vowed to “destroy the entire brand” and threatened to “ratf--- every [business party] entity” that helps operate Dollywood. The filing alleges he described himself as “an international arms dealer and mercenary,” warned that “[e]veryone needs to be worried about what I might do,” and told Parton’s entertainment attorney: “I’m not an entertainment person. I’m a killer.”
The estate says that out of fear, some staff resigned, the trusts and estates attorney withdrew after allegedly being “targeted,” and others retained private security.
Seaver denied the allegations in a statement to TMZ, insisting his words were taken out of context. “I am a career soldier and military contractor,” he said. “However, nothing in this lawsuit were threats and most of the comments I stand by.” He said he thought of Nozell as “my friend” and described their exchanges as “two guys having rage talk and crying on the phone together while we were grieving.”
PEOPLE reports the temporary restraining order was granted on 22 September, and that Seaver did not immediately respond to EW’s request for comment.
Sources
- Entertainment Weekly: Dolly Parton’s estate files lawsuit against terminated nephew, claims he made violent threats — ew.com
- PEOPLE: Dolly Parton’s nephew called himself an ‘arms dealer,’ spoke of ‘vengeance’: lawsuit — people.com
- Consequence: Dolly Parton estate sues fired nephew who led security, seeks restraining order — consequence.net
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