Dolly Parton’s nephew and former head of security, Bryan Seaver, has opposed a restraining order sought by her longtime manager, Danny Nozell, arguing that messages cited against him were exchanged privately between two frustrated friends.
In a court affidavit filed in Tennessee, Seaver denied threatening violence against Nozell, employees or business partners, or attempting to damage Parton’s legacy and business interests.
The messages were sent shortly before and after Parton’s death on 25 August. Seaver said Nozell had not appeared alarmed at the time and had agreed with, or responded positively to, some of what he wrote.
A temporary restraining order was granted last month against Seaver and his private security company, Squadron Augmented Protection Services (SAPS). It prevents them from speaking to, or coming within 1,000 feet of, employees, lawyers and business partners of She’s Alive, an entity operated by Nozell to manage Parton’s estate.
The order also prohibits Seaver from interfering with She’s Alive’s business relationships. A hearing on whether it should become permanent is due to take place on 20 October before Chancellor I’Ashea L. Myles.
She’s Alive terminated Seaver and SAPS in early September before applying for the order. Its complaint alleged “terroristic threats, harassment, and intimidation”, claiming that Seaver’s conduct had made it untenable for the company to continue employing him.
In granting the temporary order, Ms Myles referred to Seaver’s “claimed access to weapons, experience with violence, and intention to retaliate”. The complaint described him as a trained military and private-security operative with access to military-grade weapons.
One message cited in the case, sent on 1 September, said: “I’m going to set up a podcast dedicated to ruining Dolly’s brand partnerships and telling the violations these people have done on us. It’s going to be great. Or f****** pay me.”
Another message included an allegation that Seaver had “just sold 29 million dollars worth of ammo to Haiti”. Seaver said he had been carrying out contract security work in Haiti when the order was granted and that he had been blindsided by it.
He acknowledged that some of his messages to Nozell were crude and profane, but said his dispute concerned more than $250,000 he claimed his company was owed for completed work by Herschend Family Entertainment. The company operates Parton’s Dollywood amusement park and Songteller Hotel.
Seaver denied ever threatening physical harm to Nozell or anyone employed by She’s Alive. He also rejected allegations that he had menaced or intimidated Herschend employees.
His filing argued that the order was so wide-ranging, given the extent of Parton’s business interests, that large parts of Nashville and even some of his own family were effectively off-limits to him.
Seaver included a 2024 letter in which Parton praised him and his company. He also said Parton had personally chosen him to announce her death after she succumbed to cancer.
“I care about Ms. Parton, her music, her legacy, and her family. I do not want this dispute to harm her legacy,” Seaver wrote in his affidavit.
