Since Dolly Parton’s passing on August 25th, 2026, at the age of 80, her estate is turning into a made for tv movie.
The estate has gotten themselves into a legal dispute with her nephew, Bryan Seaver, Dolly’s former head of security. And yes, he’s the same nephew that actually announced her passing to the world. A Nashville judge has granted a request from Mr. Seaver to delay a hearing that had been set in the lawsuit filed against him by his late aunt’s estate.
This all started when Dolly’s longtime manager Danny Nozell, who also runs She’s Alive LLC, the company overseeing Dolly’s estate, terminated Bryan and his company as head of security for the estate. And it was all due to some wild accusations. Bryan has maintained that he has been unfairly pushed out, and many of his issues with Dolly’s manager, Danny Nozell, through the management entity She’s Alive, LLC.
In text messages filed with the lawsuit, Mr. Seaver allegedly threatened to “destroy the entire brand,” while claiming that the “Dollywood brand is dying” and threatening to take his story to Billboard Magazine.
“I’m going to spend the next time I have on earth ratf**king anyone that has ever betrayed my family.”
He also threatened to go public in another text message…
“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**king pay me.”
He also emphasized his military service and career as a contractor in a September 3, 2026 email to Dolly’s longtime attorney…
“I’m not an entertainment person. I’m a killer. I sold 27 million $ worth of ammunition and arms to the Haitian Police on the day Dolly died. Entertainment is not my game. I have spent my entire career breaking things and spying on African and Arab leaders. And protecting Dolly.”
According to People, Bryan’s lawyer’s released a statement alleging that the court filings were misleading and taken out of context in terms of some of the threats he made about tarnishing Dolly’s brand and targeting some of her team.
The statement was written by Bryan’s attorneys, Dominic J. Leonardo and James L. Collier. And it says…
“Mr. Seaver has always been a private person, but he was chosen by his aunt, with his family’s approval, to make the announcement about Dolly’s passing. He would have preferred to remain a private person as this ordeal has taken a toll on his family.”
They added that the ongoing legal battle between their client and the “business manager,” is all an “incomplete story” with messages that are “misleading and taken out of context” as it went on to say…
“While the family was grieving, the business manager went to court and the media with a surprising and incomplete story. Seeing text messages that are misleading and taken out of context has been very hurtful to our client and his family.
Dolly had him protecting her for a reason. He’s family and he obviously knew what he was doing when it came to protecting his aunt…or she wouldn’t have kept him around.
It also sounds like the family is sticking together, at least publicly…
“While Mr. Seaver and family work through this they trust the bright light of Dolly’s legacy remains untouched and they are eager to amicably and expeditiously resolve this matter.”