Dolly Parton's Estate Drops Lawsuit Against Nephew Bryan Seaver
Dolly Parton's Estate Drops Lawsuit Against Nephew Bryan Seaver
Dolly Parton's estate has dropped its lawsuit against her nephew, Bryan Seaver, who worked as her head of security for 20 years. Billboard reported that the estate filed a voluntary dismissal of its claims on Thursday, Nov. 5.
The dismissal was "without prejudice," a legal term meaning the claims can be filed again later. For now, the case is over, but nothing stops the estate from returning to court.
The lawsuit was brought by She's Alive LLC, the company that manages Parton's affairs after her death under her longtime manager, Danny Nozell. It was filed on Tuesday, Sept. 22, against Seaver and his security company. Seaver is 49 years old, and he was fired from his role in September, according to People.
The estate alleged that Seaver tried to extract money after Parton died. It said he sent violent threats, including the messages "I'm a killer" and "all I do is warfare." The estate also accused him of intimidation and of threatening to destroy his aunt's legacy and business. Seaver denied the allegations. He said Nozell had taken his text messages out of context.
A Tennessee judge granted the estate a temporary restraining order against Seaver in September, according to the Associated Press. The estate also asked for an injunction, a court order that would bar Seaver from interfering with the business. A hearing on that request had been set for Tuesday, Nov. 10, in Nashville. That hearing is now canceled.
Seaver had asked the court to throw the case out, ABC7 New York reported on Nov. 4. Earlier, he had argued that the lawsuit would interfere with his access to the family trust and affect family relationships. His attorneys said last week that both sides had been holding good-faith discussions to resolve the matter.
Seaver's inheritance was never part of the legal fight. The dispute centred on the threats and on control of the business, not on who received what from the estate.
For anyone who has followed the case since September, the calendar has changed. The Nov. 10 courtroom date is gone, and the dispute has moved out of open court for now. The allegations were never tested before a judge, and Seaver's denial stands as his response to them.
