Dolly Parton’s Nephew Accused of Threats Against Estate Days After Her Death

Dolly Parton’s estate has been plunged into legal turmoil less than a month after the legendary singer’s passing.

On Tuesday, She’s Alive — the corporation responsible for managing Parton’s business affairs — filed a restraining order in Nashville’s Davidson County Chancery Court against the singer’s nephew, Bryan Seaver. Seaver served as Parton’s head of security and announced her death in a video. According to The New York Times, Seaver is accused of launching “an obscene, deliberate and escalating campaign of threats” aimed at extracting money from the estate.

The filing alleges that Seaver’s operation “was not a conventional office-security operation; it was a heavily armed, paramilitary-style force,” complete with military-grade weaponry and dozens of employees.

Text messages attached to the court papers, per The Times, show someone identified as Seaver issuing a threat against a Dollywood business partner, declaring he would become “the hand of retribution for my entire family.” The complaint also claims Seaver described himself as a “killer” in a Sept. 3 message to one of Parton’s attorneys.

Seaver allegedly told She’s Alive manager Danny Nozell, via text, that he would create a podcast “dedicated to ruining Dolly’s brand partnerships and telling the violations these people have done on us.”

Nozell fired Seaver, who runs Squadron Augmented Protection Services, LLC (SAPS), on Sept. 15, according to Variety.

The lawsuit states that “it was important to [Dolly Parton] to employ her family members when they had skill sets compatible with her business needs.” It further claims that a lawyer for Parton’s estate and trust resigned after Seaver made “harassing and ominous threats” during a phone call, and that some staff members quit while others hired private security.

In the She’s Alive filing, Seaver allegedly threatened the corporation’s “personnel, counsel, and business partners” and wrote that he would “destroy the entire brand” and “ratfuck every [business party] entity” that helps operate Dollywood, per Variety.

In a statement to TMZ on Tuesday, Seaver defended his actions. “I am a career soldier and military contractor and do conduct arms deals for foreign governments. I am a security professional and I am a killer,” he said. “However, nothing in this lawsuit were threats and most of the comments I stand by,” he added, claiming the allegations were taken out of context.

“I was talking frankly in a private way with Danny who I thought was my friend and he fancies himself a gangster,” he continued. “A lot of these messages are two guys having rage talk and crying on the phone together while we were grieving.”

Seaver and a representative for Squadron Augmented Protection Services, LLC, did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment. A lawyer for She’s Alive did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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