Dolly Parton's nephew who announced her death fired and sued over alleged aggressive threats
Bryan Seaver has been fired from his role as the head of security for his late aunt, Dolly Parton, and is now facing legal action from her estate over a series of alleged threats.
The '9 to 5' singer chose Seaver - the son of her sister Cassie - as the family member who'd be responsible for announcing her death, aged 80, last month, having worked for her team for over two decades, following in the footsteps of his father, Larry, who previously held the crucial role.
Sharing the heartbreaking news in a video posted to Parton's Instagram account at the time, he explained that making the announcement had actually been something Parton had asked him to do years earlier.
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"This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality," he told viewers, describing the moment as one filled with both pride and sadness.
Seaver also reflected on his childhood memories of travelling with his aunt.
"Dolly opened doors, not just for me, but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn’t even know was possible," he said.
But just weeks later, the relationship between Seaver and those now overseeing the country musician's estate has become the centre of a legal dispute.
According to court documents filed in Tennessee (since obtained by PEOPLE), Parton's estate alleges that Seaver made a series of threats against people connected to her business and legacy, including her longtime manager Danny Nozell.
The lawsuit, filed by She's Alive, LLC - an entity established to protect Parton's legacy - claims Seaver made threats of violence and attempted to put pressure on people associated with the estate.
The filing alleges that Seaver invoked his experience as a military contractor, his access to weapons and his capacity for violence during the dispute.
One message cited in the legal documents allegedly included the words: "I’m not an entertainment person. I’m a killer."
The estate also claims he threatened to damage Parton's business interests, including allegedly saying he would create a podcast targeting her brand partnerships.
The filing says some members of the 'Jolene' star's team became sufficiently concerned that employees resigned or sought private security.
The estate has characterised the alleged behaviour as more serious than an ordinary workplace disagreement, arguing that the threats created concerns for the safety of staff and business partners.
Unsurprisingly, Seaver has denied that his messages amounted to threats.
In comments reported by TMZ, he acknowledged describing himself as a military contractor and discussing arms deals, but argued that the messages had been taken out of context.
He reportedly described the exchanges with Nozell as private conversations between two people who were grieving and said some of the language amounted to what he called 'rage talk'.
Seaver also disputed the interpretation of his comments about damaging Parton’s business relationships, saying they related to specific people and companies he believed had treated his aunt badly.
After his dismissal was reported, Parton's nephew and his team also said they were 'dismayed by the unexpected, and so far unexplained actions' taken following Parton’s death.
They said they remained committed to carrying out what they believed was Parton’s final directive to protect her family, adding: "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."
Parton's estate has asked the court to prevent Seaver from interfering with her business interests and contacting people connected to the singer’s companies and partnerships.
A temporary restraining order against him was granted on 22 September.
Topics: Music, US News, Entertainment, Celebrity
Rhianna Benson