Dolly Parton’s nephew Bryan Seaver reacts after being fired as estate’s head of security amid threats allegations; “We refuse to be intimidated…”

Dolly Parton's estate (She's Alive LLC) has fired her nephew Bryan Seaver as head of security from all of Parton’s properties, TMZ reported. On August 25, Bryan Seaver announced to the world that Dolly Parton had died at the age of 80 after a ‘brief battle with cancer’, having hid her diagnosis from the vast majority of people, including family. Bryan Seaver is the son of Dolly Parton’s sister Cassie and served as the singer’s head of security for over 20 years, which he took over from his father Larry.

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Dolly Parton's nephew Bryan Seaver reacts on being fired

Bryan Seaver has now been fired, with the Parton estate filing a lawsuit claiming he threatened to ruin the star’s brand and made threats towards employees. Bryan Seaver and his team criticised Parton’s longtime manager Danny Nozell and Pinnacle Bank and told media outlet TMZ that they were “dismayed by the unexpected and, so far, unexplained actions” taken following Parton’s death. They “remain unshakably resolved to fulfill her final directive to protect her family," the report stated. “We refuse to be intimidated by those whose actions we believe are being taken in bad faith and with the intent to profit from the life of someone who willingly gave so much,” Seaver and his team told TMZ. According to the outlet, the letter says that Seaver’s “personal interest in the trust remains intact.” On September 21, Bryan Seaver had been fired from his role as head of security. The outlet reported that after he was let go with a termination letter, replacement security guards took over Parton’s main residence in Nashville, plus her museum, downtown home and warehouse.


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Why was Bryan Seaver fired?

She’s Alive, LLC (SAL), which was designated by the Jolene singer to protect her legacy, has alleged Seaver became ’emboldened’ after her death. The filings claimed that the “Jolene” singer “loved and cared for her family very deeply,” and felt strongly about employing family members whose skills fit her business needs. One of the filings alleges that in the weeks prior to and after his aunt’s death, Seaver threatened to smear her brand and “inflict reputational and economic harm” on those entrusted with protecting the brand, including by launching a podcast dedicated to ruining her brand partnerships unless he was paid.

He is accused of making “threats of real-world violence” to Parton’s staff, partners, legal and business advisors, allegedly often invoking his background as a military contractor. The filing claims his alleged behavior is what led to his termination, as SAL considers itself “armed with a duty to protect the employees and partners who promote [Parton’s] brand and partnership.”

“As the entity entrusted by Ms. Parton to protect and promote her life’s work for future generations, SAL must cultivate a safe work environment for employees, advisors, and partners, free from intimidation or hostility—particularly intimidation by an armed former security contractor,” one of the filings says. “Without relief, Defendants’ calculated campaign will continue to inflict fear, to destabilize SAL’s operations, and to cause further irreparable harm.”

What did Bryan Seaver post on Dolly Parton's death?

After Dolly Parton’s death on August 25 at 80, Bryan Seaver confirmed the news in an Instagram video. He also introduced himself in the video. “This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” he said at the time. “As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now.”

“It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents and countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens," he said in the post.