The company that manages Dolly Parton's estate asked a court Thursday to dismiss its lawsuit against her nephew Bryan Seaver. Seaver is Parton's former head of security, and the estate had accused him of threatening to wreck the late singer's brand.
She's Alive LLC made the request in a brief one-paragraph notice, seeking dismissal without prejudice. That means the claims could be refiled. The terms of any resolution were not immediately known, and it was unclear whether the estate planned to revive the case or let it go.
Seaver's attorneys called the dispute a misunderstanding. They said he was grateful to move past it so the family could grieve in peace and Parton's legacy would stay untouched. Attorneys for the estate did not respond to requests for comment.
Parton died of cancer in August at 80. Seaver, who heads the private security firm Squadron Augmented Protection Services, announced her death in a prerecorded video and said it was something she had asked of him years earlier.
The estate's accusations
She's Alive, run by Parton's longtime manager Danny Nozell, fired Seaver and his firm in mid-September. Late that month it sued and sought a restraining order, alleging that Seaver sent repeated written threats to Parton's staff, partners and advisers in an escalating campaign to extract money. Many of the alleged threats came by text.
Among the claims: that Seaver threatened to start a podcast aimed at ruining Parton's brand partnerships, and that before her death he threatened to destroy the brand over a disagreement involving Dollywood, the theme park and resort she opened in 1986. The suit also said he repeatedly invoked his security business, which it portrayed as a heavily armed, paramilitary-style force.
In October, the estate accused Seaver of barricading his property to avoid being served with the lawsuit.
Seaver's account
Seaver denied every allegation in court filings. He admitted using coarse and blunt language but said he never threatened anyone, describing the texts as private messages between him and Nozell, two longtime friends who were frustrated and grieving after Parton's illness and death. He said the messages were taken out of context.
According to an affidavit Seaver filed, the conflict grew out of a business dispute between his security company and the company that operates Parton's hotel and museum in downtown Nashville. His firm provided security for the hotel and was owed about $251,000, the affidavit said.
I care about Ms. Parton, her music, her legacy, and her family. I do not want this dispute to harm her legacy.
Bryan Seaver, Parton's nephew and former head of security
Seaver also said the Dollywood messages were private warnings that certain associates were harming Parton's brand, not threats of violence. He said Nozell never responded with alarm, and claimed Nozell had urged him to publicize his military and security background before citing those ties as evidence that he was dangerous.
