A bitter feud has erupted over the estate of Dolly Parton. Her nephew Brian Seaver, the person who announced her death to the world last month, has been accused of ‘threats, intimidation, and coercion’ – ITV News’ Olivia Guthrie explains
Dolly Parton’s estate has filed a restraining order against the singer’s nephew, accusing him of threatening violence and to destroy his aunt’s legacy, court filings show.
She’s Alive, the entity that manages and protects Parton’s professional property and business, claims Bryan Seaver sent increasingly threatening messages over the last several weeks, according to court documents.
Seaver, who owns a company which provided security for Parton, was chosen to announce his aunt’s death on her social media account.
His relationship with the Parton estate soured around the time of the singer’s death in August, however.
Last week, She’s Alive terminated its arrangement with Seaver and Squadron Augmented Protection Services, saying his “terrorising conduct made their continued retention untenable,” according to court documents.
She’s Alive, run by Parton’s longtime manager Danny Nozell, asked a judge in Nashville, Tennessee, for a temporary restraining order against Seaver, over increasingly threatening messages alleged to have been sold over the last several weeks.
Court documents included messages from Seaver which dated back to just before Dolly Parton’s death.
One message written by Seaver on September 1 said: “I’m going to set up a podcast dedicated to ruining Dolly’s brand partnerships and telling the violations these people have done on us. It’s going to be great. Or f****** pay me.”
The court filings depict Seaver as revelling in his newfound fame, describing himself as an “international arms dealer.”
He claimed to have worked for private military contractors overseas during the Iraq War and used that experience as part of these threats, according to the complaint.
The court documents showed Seaver’s messages resulted in Parton’s trusts and estates attorney cutting ties and employees of She’s Alive resigning.
The company has also had to hire private security for its employees, including at their homes, the documents state.
ITV News has requested a comment from Seaver.
In a statement to TMZ he said: “Nothing in this lawsuit were threats and most of the comments I stand by.”
He added that the messages were private and taken out of context.
“A lot of these messages are two guys having rage talk and crying on the phone together while we were grieving,” he told the entertainment news site.
The restraining order is meant to stop Seaver from talking with or being within 305 metres of She’s Alive employees, attorneys and business partners.
It also is supposed to keep him from interfering with its business relationships.
Parton wrote hundreds of songs, including classics like ‘Jolene,’ ‘Coat of Many Colors’ and ‘I Will Always Love You,’ that earned a total of more than 100 million worldwide sales and more than one billion online streams.
Seaver announced the country star’s death on behalf of her family on August 25, describing it as “an honour that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness”.
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
