Dolly Parton’s estate claims the country icon’s nephew and former security chief Bryan Seaver used a “no trespassing” sign and barbed wire to prevent legal documents from being served on him.
There is an active restraining order and lawsuit against Seaver by Parton’s company, She’s Alive LLC, managed by Parton’s former manager Danny Nozell, for allegedly threatening and extorting her property.
Seaver served as Parton’s head of security for more than 20 years, and on Aug. 25, he broke the news of his aunt’s death through a video on his Instagram account.
Seaver’s legal troubles first came to light on Sept. 22, when a lawsuit was filed by She’s Alive in Davidson County Chancery Court in Nashville following Seaver’s termination as security chief. Both Seaver and his company, Squadron Augmented Protection Services LLC, are defendants in the lawsuit.
In documents examined by New York TimesSeaver is accused of launching a “salacious, deliberate, and escalating threat campaign” to obtain money from the Parton estate; this included a profane threat to at least one Dollywood business partner.
Seaver filed a motion last week to postpone the hearing scheduled for Friday, saying he needed time to meet with his preferred legal counsel.
The next day, She’s Alive’s lawyers asked the court to: reject this moveHe argued that Seaver “tried to avoid service of process” and that “the court should not reward this behavior.”
According to court records obtained ABC NewsA process server tried to serve Seaver with court documents for the third time but was met with “a no trespassing sign in the front yard and barbed wire over the railing leading to the front door.”
The new trial date was set as October 20.
The legal complaint includes text messages in which Seaver wrote that he would be “the hand of vengeance for my entire family.” He described himself as a “killer” in other correspondence between himself and one of Parton’s longtime lawyers, and later claimed the term was taken out of context, according to the complaint.
There are also allegations that Seaver began making financial demands before Parton’s death, the New York Times reported; In a text to Nozell, he said that if the demands were not met, he would launch a podcast “dedicated to destroying Dolly’s brand partnerships and telling us about the violations these people have committed against us.”
Nozell was Parton’s longtime manager and is credited with reviving the “I Will Always Love You” singer’s international touring career.
The Times reached out to Seaver, Nozelle and She’s Alive LLC but did not hear back.