Dolly Parton's nephew pushes back on restraining order

Key points

• Bryan Seaver, Dolly Parton's nephew and former head of security, filed an affidavit on Tuesday opposing a temporary restraining order obtained by She's Alive, the entity managing Parton's estate.
• Seaver claims the text messages cited by Nozell were a private conversation between friends and that he never sent threatening messages to Parton's businesses or partners.
• A hearing on whether the temporary order becomes permanent is scheduled for Oct. 20 before Chancellor I'Ashea L. Myles.

Bryan Seaver, Dolly Parton's nephew and longtime head of security, pushed back Tuesday against a restraining order obtained by She's Alive, the entity managing Parton's estate. In a Tennessee court filing, Seaver said he was a close friend and ally of Parton's longtime manager Danny Nozell before Nozell sought the order, which accuses Seaver of threatening violence and seeking to destroy Parton's legacy and business empire.

The temporary restraining order, granted last month by a judge, requires Seaver and his firm, Squadron Augmented Protection Services, to stay away from She's Alive employees, attorneys and business partners, and not interfere with its business relationships. Seaver's affidavit is his first public defense since a rift in Parton's circle became public after her Aug. 25 death.

Seaver's response to allegations

Seaver said text messages Nozell cited were a private conversation between two friends who were frustrated, grieving and discussing strategy, sent shortly before and after Parton's death. He said he never sent threatening messages to any of Parton's businesses or business partners or their employees, and that Nozell did not react with alarm at the time, agreeing with or reacting positively to some messages.

Seaver said he was blindsided by the order while doing contract security work in Haiti. He argued the order is so broad, and Parton's business reach so great, that much of Nashville and even his own relatives are off-limits to him. He said his anger and a demand for payment were only over more than $250,000 owed to his company for completed work by Herschend Family Entertainment, which operates Dollywood and the Songteller Hotel.

I care about Ms. Parton, her music, her legacy, and her family. I do not want this dispute to harm her legacy.

— Bryan Seaver

What the complaint says

She's Alive terminated Seaver and SAPS in early September and the following week petitioned for the restraining order, saying his terrorizing conduct made their continued retention untenable. The complaint alleged Seaver and his company used terroristic threats, harassment and intimidation, describing them as a calculated campaign by a trained military/private-security operative with access to an arsenal of military-grade weaponry.

In granting the temporary order, Chancellor I'Ashea L. Myles cited Seaver's claimed access to weapons, experience with violence and intention to retaliate. One message cited by She's Alive, written Sept. 1, said Seaver would set up a podcast dedicated to ruining Parton's brand partnerships or demanded payment. Seaver acknowledged being overly crude and profane but said he never threatened physical harm, and included a 2024 letter from Parton praising him. The two sides will make their cases at a hearing on Oct. 20.