Dolly Parton estate seeks restraining order against nephew amid legal dispute
The corporation managing Dolly Parton's business filed a restraining order in Nashville court against her nephew, former head of security, alleging threats and misuse of armed personnel.
A Nashville court received a restraining order filed by She’s Alive, the entity that oversees Dolly Parton's business interests, against Bryan Seaver, the singer’s nephew who previously headed her security team. The filing alleges that Seaver operated a heavily armed security group and used threatening language to pressure the estate for money.
According to court documents, Seaver sent text messages that threatened a Dollywood partner and claimed he would act as “the hand of retribution” for the family. He also reportedly told a manager that he would launch a podcast aimed at damaging Parton's brand partnerships.
The lawsuit states that Seaver was dismissed from his role on September 15 after the estate determined his conduct was inconsistent with its policies. It further claims that a lawyer for the estate resigned following a phone call in which Seaver allegedly made harassing threats, prompting several staff members to quit or hire private security.
Seaver responded to media inquiries, asserting that his background as a security professional and military contractor does not constitute a threat and that his comments were taken out of context. He described the exchange with the manager as a private conversation between two grieving individuals.
Representatives for Seaver’s security firm and for She’s Alive have not provided comment at the time of publication.