Estate lawyers say Dolly Parton's nephew used barbed wire and caution tape to evade service of lawsuit
Representatives of Dolly Parton's estate allege that her nephew, Bryan Seaver, placed barbed wire and caution tape around his home to prevent a process server from delivering legal papers related to a restraining order.
Lawyers for She's Alive, LLC, the entity set up to protect Dolly Parton's business interests, filed court documents on Oct. 5 accusing the singer's nephew, Bryan Seaver, of obstructing service of a lawsuit. The filings claim yellow caution tape and barbed wire were positioned in front of Seaver's door after a process server made repeated attempts to deliver the papers.
The lawsuit, filed by the estate on Sept. 22, seeks a temporary restraining order against Seaver and his security firm, alleging he threatened to damage Parton's legacy and made threats toward employees. The estate's filing includes an affidavit from a process server who said that on Sept. 24 and 25 no one answered the door, and that on Sept. 26 "no trespassing" signs and the taped barbed wire blocked access to the front steps.
Seaver, who announced Parton's death on Aug. 25, posted a video on the singer's Instagram account expressing his grief and recalling his long tenure as her head of security. The estate has asked the court to postpone a hearing to allow Seaver time to secure new counsel, and a judge rescheduled the hearing on temporary injunctive relief for Oct. 20, extending the restraining order through that date.