Dolly Parton Company Sues Star's Former Security Director

Overseen by Parton's manager Danny Nozell, She’s Alive LLC claims Parton's nephew Bryan Seaver is threatening employees, business partners

Dolly Parton: Pure and Simple at the Ryman, 7/31/15 — Dolly Parton at the Ryman, 7/31/2015
Photo: Michael W. Bunch

The trust and estate of Dolly Parton have been granted a temporary restraining order against the late entertainer’s nephew, Bryan Seaver.

The lawsuit, filed in chancery court, comes after Seaver — who claims to have worked overseas for private military contractors during the Iraq War — was dismissed as head of Parton’s security detail related to her multiple properties.

Seaver, the son of Dolly Parton's sister Cassie Parton, deployed his Squadron Augmented Protection Services (SAPS) and other companies for security work involving Dolly and her properties.

She's Alive LLC (SAL), the entity Parton created before her Aug. 25 death so as to safeguard her legacy, filed the lawsuit Sept. 22. It alleges Seaver threatened to sully the memory of his late aunt and aggressively threatened several Parton employees, partners and legal/business advisers, according to the court filing.

SAL is seeking a jury trial. The court ordered a hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 7. Court documents note Seaver has ready access to weapons, with his claims having yielded a “chilling effect on personnel and business associates, who reasonably understand them as threats of real-world violence.”

Seaver is alleged to have said, based on court documents: “All I do is warfare. Everyone needs to be worried about what I might do.”

Manager Danny Nozell with Dolly Parton at the Cracker Barrel Music presentation "An Evening With... Dolly" Gold Record Celebration held at Dolly Records/CTK Management on August 10, 2012 in Nashville for her first Gold recording in 11 years and the first Certified Gold Recording in the Cracker Barrel Music Line. — Manager Danny Nozell with Dolly Parton in 2012
Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images

Veteran Parton manager Danny Nozell and Nashville-based Pinnacle Bank have overseen the administration and operations of Parton’s trust and estate, according to statements Seaver has made to other outlets. A Pinnacle spokesperson tells Scene sister publication Nashville Post the bank cannot confirm or deny any client or estate relationships due to confidentiality agreements.

On Aug. 19, according to the lawsuit, Seaver texted Nozell about interfering with the operations of Dollywood, a joint venture between Dolly Parton Productions and Herschend Family Entertainment.

“This was a direct threat to sabotage a core business relationship and to use public exposure as a weapon against SAL and its partners,” the suit reads.

According to the court document, SAL alleges Seaver texted: “I’m going to destroy the entire brand if you don’t get [the Dollywood business partners] out of our bit [sic]. I’m going to go to Billboard Magazine with my shit. I’m going to ratfuck every [Dollywood business partner] I can conjure.”

The plaintiff claims Seaver’s behavior has unnerved SAL staff members, with many having stopped working in the office due to safety concerns.

SAL is asking for compensatory and punitive damages in an amount to be determined at trial, and for the court to award pre-judgment and post-judgment interest, as well as attorneys’ fees and costs.

Loeb and Loeb is representing She’s Alive LLC. It is unclear if Seaver and Squadron Augmented Protection Services have legal representation.

This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.