Dolly Parton’s estate files for a restraining order against nephew

Sept. 22, 2026Updated Sept. 23, 2026, 10:55 p.m. ET

Dolly Parton’s estate requested and been granted a temporary restraining order against the late country singer’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, after he was fired from providing security for her properties.

She’s Alive, LLC (SAL), the entity Parton designed to protect her legacy after her death, filed a lawsuit Sept. 22 alleging Seaver threatened to smear his aunt’s legacy and made violent threats against several employees.

Since the “Jolene” singer died on Aug. 25, her longtime manager Danny Nozell and Pinnacle Bank have overseen the administration and operations of her trust.

USA TODAY reached out to Bryan Seaver through his security company and Nozell for comment.

“Mr. Seaver began his campaign of threats, intimidation, and coercion a few weeks prior to Ms. Parton’s passing,” states the lawsuit, obtained by the Nashville Tennesean, part of the USA TODAY Network. “In writing, he vowed to ‘destroy the entire brand’ and also told her entertainment attorney: ‘I’m not an entertainment person. I’m a killer.'”

Seaver received a termination notice on Sept. 16 after more than 20 years serving as his aunt’s head of security, a role he assumed from his late father, Larry Seaver, according to TMZ. The outlet published the termination letter, which notified him that all of Bryan Seaver’s services “are formally dismissed and terminated” and stated that cotrustees will contact him regarding his interest as a trust beneficiary.

What is Bryan Seaver accused of?

The lawsuit alleges that Bryan Seaver “inflicted reputational and economic harm” on those entrusted to protect the Grammy-winning musician’s brand. Bryan Seaver is accused of threatening to start a podcast intended to ruin Dolly Parton’s brand partnerships unless he was paid.

The lawsuit also claimed Bryan Seaver made “threats of real-world violence” towards the singer’s staff, partners, and legal and business advisors, “allegedly often invoking his background as a military contractor. One of the filings said those are the reasons for his termination.

“As the entity entrusted by Ms. Parton to protect and promote her life’s work for future generations, SAL must cultivate a safe work environment for employees, advisors, and partners, free from intimidation or hostility — particularly intimidation by an armed former security contractor,” the lawsuit states. “Without relief, Defendants’ calculated campaign will continue to inflict fear, to destabilize SAL’s operations, and to cause further irreparable harm.”

What has Bryan Seaver said?

In a statement to TMZ shared on Sept. 21, Bryan Seaver said he and his teams were “dismayed by the unexpected and, so far, unexplained actions” taken by Nozell and Pinnacle Bank.

“We remain unshakably resolved to fulfill her final directive to protect her family, and 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,” the statement reads.

Bryan Seaver announced his aunt’s death in an Aug. 25 video shared on social media where he said he first followed Dolly Parton on the road when he was a kid in the early 1980s and got a taste of the doors she opened for her family “to reach the potential we didn’t even know was possible.” In the video, he said that Dolly Parton personally asked him to reveal her death.

“My family and I have shared a lifetime of beautiful memories with Dolly, but so have you,” Bryan Seaver said in the video. “She has always been on your television, your record player, your CD, and on your phone playlist, becoming an extended part of your family, whether you liked it or not.”

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