A fight over Dolly Parton’s entertainment empire has spilled into public view, with her longtime manager accusing her nephew and former security chief of intimidation, threats and an escalating effort to extract money from the late singer’s estate.
Danny Nozell, Parton’s longtime manager and head of She’s Alive, the corporation that oversees her businesses, has filed for a restraining order against Brian Seaver, Parton’s nephew, who was dismissed as head of security for Parton’s properties last week. Seaver was the person who publicly announced Parton’s death on August 25 in a video.
According to The New York Times, Nozell’s filing accuses Seaver of launching “an obscene, deliberate and escalating campaign of threats” in an effort to obtain money from Parton’s estate.
The filing includes a series of text messages that appear to show Seaver making increasingly aggressive threats. In one message sent to at least one partner of Dollywood, someone identified as Seaver wrote that he would become “the hand of retribution for my entire family.”
In another message, dated September 3, Seaver referred to himself as a “killer” and claimed he had sold $27 million worth of arms and ammunition to Haitian police on the day the “9 to 5” singer/songwriter and guitar player died.
Other messages allegedly threatened to “set up a podcast dedicated to ruining Dolly’s brand partnerships and telling the violations these people have done on us.” The message also included a demand for payment.
Parton’s businesses include Dollywood, her SongTeller hotel and Life of Many Colors museum that is set to open this month.
Seaver and his security company had protected Parton and her properties for many years. But according to Nozell’s complaint, the operation was far from a conventional security detail. He describes it as “a heavily armed, paramilitary-style force” with access to military-grade weapons.
Nozell and other Parton business associates reportedly became increasingly alarmed as Seaver made demands in the period surrounding Parton’s death. Some have left, while others have hired their own security teams, according to the filing.
Seaver has defended his conduct and his work protecting Parton and her family in comments to TMZ.
“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,” he said.
