Dolly Parton's manager accuses her nephew of 'threats and intimidation'
Dolly Parton’s longtime manager has accused her nephew of threats, extortion and intimidation in a feud over her $450 million estate on Tuesday.
Dolly Parton’s longtime manager has accused her nephew of threats, extortion and intimidation in a feud over her $450 million estate on Tuesday.
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The allegations made against Ms Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, have been made public following a restraining order request.
The request offers insight into the increasingly hostile negotiations over Ms Parton’s estate, which includes Dollywood, her SongTeller hotel and Life of Many Colors Museum, which is due to open this month.
Mr Seaver broke the news of the 80-year-old music legend’s death in a video last month, which came after a “brief battle with cancer”.
He was sacked as head of security for her properties last week, according to the New York Times.
— Bryan Seaver (@tylerthomajqfl) September 23, 2026
According to the court papers filed on Tuesday, Mr Seaver is accused of mounting “an obscene, deliberate and escalating campaign of threats” to profit from the Parton estate.
Text messages seen in the court papers indicate that an individual named Mr Seaver reportedly issued a profane threat against at least one Dollywood business partner.
The complaint stated that he wrote that he would become “the hand of retribution for my entire family”.
In an exchange with a longtime lawyer of Ms Parton, on 3rd September, Mr Seaver called himself a “killer” and claimed that on the day of her death, he sold $27 million in arms and ammunition to the Haitian police, the complaint shows.
Mr Seaver has denied the claims.
In a statement to TMZ, he said: “We remain unshakably resolved to fulfill her final directive to protect her family.”
He went on: “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.”