A dispute over Dolly Parton’s estate has escalated into allegations of threats, extortion and intimidation against her nephew and former head of security, Bryan Seaver.
The claims were made in an application for a restraining order filed in Davidson County Chancery Court in Nashville, Tennessee. It was submitted by She’s Alive, the corporation overseeing Parton’s business interests and run by her longtime manager, Danny Nozell.
Seaver was dismissed from his security role at Parton’s properties last week. The court filing alleges that he then began an “obscene, deliberate and escalating campaign of threats” aimed at obtaining money from the estate.
The application seeks to bar him from the company’s properties and from contacting its staff, business partners and other people connected with She’s Alive. The company has also sued Seaver, accusing him of tortious interference and seeking an unspecified amount in damages.
Seaver, who announced Parton’s death from cancer in a filmed video last month, has not responded to requests for comment. He told TMZ that he and his associates remained “unshakably resolved to fulfil her final directive to protect her family”.
“We refuse to be intimidated by those whose actions we believe are being taken in bad faith and with the intent to profit from the life of someone who willingly gave so much,” he said.
Alleged threats in messages
The court papers include text messages in which someone identified as Seaver allegedly threatened at least one business partner of Dollywood. The message said he would become “the hand of retribution for my entire family”, according to the complaint.
In an exchange with one of Parton’s longtime lawyers on September 3, Seaver allegedly described himself as a “killer” and referred to selling $27 million in arms and ammunition to Haitian police on the day his aunt died.
“Let’s have dinner…” he wrote, according to an email attached to the filing.
The complaint also alleges that Seaver threatened to launch a podcast attacking Parton’s brand partnerships and accusing business associates of wrongdoing. In messages to Nozell, he allegedly wrote: “It’s going to be great.”
“Or pay me,” he added, ending the demand with an expletive.
One lawyer representing the Parton estate and trust resigned after allegedly receiving “harassing and ominous threats” from Seaver during a telephone call, the filing says. It also claims that some employees have left their jobs while others have hired private security.
Seaver and an outside security company had previously been responsible for protecting Parton and her properties. The complaint says he had claimed extensive military experience and international dealings, and alleges that his operation was “not a conventional office-security operation; it was a heavily armed, paramilitary-style force” with dozens of employees and access to military-grade weapons.
Parton’s business interests include Dollywood, her SongTeller hotel and the Life of Many Colors museum, which is due to open this month. A line of dolls and a coffee brand are also being introduced.
The filing says Parton had valued employing family members when their skills suited the needs of her businesses. A lawyer for She’s Alive declined to comment further.
