Dolly Parton’s nephew and former security chief faces restraining order from her estate after alleged threats and ‘I’m a killer’ remarks

Soon after the passing of country music icon Dolly Parton, her estate became the center of an escalating legal dispute. Parton’s longtime manager, Danny Nozell is now seeking a restraining order against her nephew and head of security Bryan Seaver, on grounds of threats and attempts to pressure her representatives for money, TMZ reported.

Nozell has accused Seaver of making threats citing his military-contractor background, access to weapons and capacity for violence in an effort to pressure him into meeting his financial demands. The filing reported by the outlet says the alleged conduct began weeks before Parton’s death on August 25 and continued afterward.

Parton’s estate, through She’s Alive, LLC, subsequently sought legal protection against Seaver. People reported that a temporary restraining order was granted on September 22. The filing seeks restrictions on Seaver’s contact with the estate’s business operations and partners. The request also sought to keep him at least 1,000 feet away from the offices.

What the court filings allege

The allegations include a series of messages that the estate says were sent by Seaver. One alleged message referred to his family, stating "Her money better be bigger than I can make elsewhere or I'm going to f*** everyone. I am about to become the hand of retribution for my entire family."

Another reportedly threatened to damage Parton’s brand and partnerships. The filings also allege Seaver making remarks like, “I’m not an entertainment person. I’m a killer,” and "All I do is warfare ... everyone needs to be worried about what I might do." People reported that the estate characterized the communications as part of a campaign of “threats, intimidation and coercion.”

However, these remain allegations contained in court filings and have not been established as facts in a final court ruling.

Bryan Seaver was fired after more than 20 years

This legal proceeding comes on the heels of the firing of Seaver, who served as the chief of security for the properties owned by Parton for more than two decades, having succeeded his father. The termination of Seaver and his security firms happened in September, with replacement security personnel subsequently taking over Parton’s properties.

Seaver was fired following a change in ownership of the properties of Parton, as per the termination letter obtained by TMZ, and was asked to vacate the properties and not return. His removal from the post of security did not affect his personal status as a beneficiary of the trust.

Seaver disputes the characterization of his messages

Seaver has pushed back against the allegations. He said the messages had been taken out of context and argued that they were private conversations between people, stating that “nothing in this lawsuit were threats and most of the comments I stand by."

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

He also acknowledged his background as a military contractor and security professional but maintained that the statements described in the lawsuit were not threats.

Seaver was the family representative who announced Parton’s death on her social media accounts on August 25. The country star died at 80 after what reports described as a brief battle with cancer.