Estate lawyers say Dolly Parton's nephew used barbed wire and caution tape to evade lawsuit service
Representatives of Dolly Parton's estate allege that her nephew, Bryan Seaver, placed barbed wire and caution tape at his home to block a process server attempting to deliver legal papers related to a restraining order.
Estate attorneys for Dolly Parton's business entity, She's Alive, LLC, filed court documents on Oct. 5 accusing the singer's nephew, Bryan Seaver, of obstructing service of a lawsuit. The filings say yellow caution tape and barbed wire were positioned in front of Seaver's front door after a process server made repeated attempts to deliver the papers.
The lawsuit stems from a temporary restraining order issued on Sept. 22 that barred Seaver and his security firm from threatening the star's legacy and from harassing employees. The estate alleges Seaver launched a "campaign of threats" to extract money from Parton's business interests.
According to an affidavit submitted by the process server, attempts to serve the documents on Sept. 24 and 25 were unsuccessful because no one answered the door. When the server returned on Sept. 26, "no trespassing" signs and the taped-over barbed wire blocked access to the front steps.
A photo attached to the filing showed barbed wire zig-zagging across the steps with multiple pieces of caution tape tied around it. On Oct. 6 a judge agreed to postpone the hearing on temporary injunctive relief to Oct. 20, extending the restraining order through that date.
Seaver, who announced Parton's death on Aug. 25, posted a video on the singer's Instagram account expressing his personal grief and recalling his long-standing role as head of security for the family.