Dolly Parton’s estate has voluntarily dismissed its lawsuit against Bryan Seaver, the singer’s nephew and former head of security. The case was dropped without prejudice, so the estate could still refile it at a later date.
Dismissal of the suit#
On Thursday, She’s Alive LLC (limited liability company), the company run by Parton’s manager, Danny Nozell, to oversee her estate, dismissed the case voluntarily. The suit alleged that Seaver led a “campaign of threats” against the estate and associated companies.
Temporary restraining order#
The estate had previously obtained a temporary restraining order against Seaver. His legal team asked the court to deny an injunction and dissolve the extension of that order, arguing that its terms interfere with his duties as a beneficiary and harm his family relationships. His attorneys also said the allegedly threatening communications had been taken out of context.
Allegations in court documents#
Court documents stated: “Mr. Seaver began his campaign of threats, intimidation, and coercion a few weeks prior to Ms. Parton’s passing.” The filing said that in writing he vowed to “destroy the entire brand” and told the entertainment attorney, “I’m not an entertainment person; I’m a killer.”
The documents also alleged that Seaver’s conduct extended to security personnel, many of whom reportedly “fled their positions to protect themselves.” They said remaining employees “have stopped going to the office altogether because the workplace no longer feels safe.”
Opposition and family statements#
Last month, Seaver’s lawyers filed an opposition to the suit and the restraining order. They argued that an order barring contact with anyone who may have a relationship with the estate “would cut a beneficiary off from the trustees and their lawyers in the middle of an estate administration.”
Parton’s sister Freida posted a statement on Facebook supporting her nephew and saying there “is no feud within our family,” despite the ongoing dispute within the company and the estate. Another sister, Stella, also posted on Facebook that the siblings lost a brother, Coy “Denver” Parton, less than a month before Dolly’s passing, and that the family is “still intact and moving forward.”
