Dolly Parton estate war rages on as nephew claims his ‘threatening’ texts were taken out of context

DAILYMAIL.COM • 1h ago

By ADAM S. LEVY, US SENIOR SHOWBUSINESS REPORTER 15:03 14 Oct 2026, updated 15:05 14 Oct 2026

Dolly Parton’s nephew Bryan Seaver said in a recent court filing that text messages dubbed threatening had been taken out of context, amid a dispute over a Nashville property linked to the late music icon’s estate.

The communications have surfaced amid Seaver’s ongoing legal proceedings over a temporary restraining order the late star’s estate has been granted against him.

Seaver, 49, said that he was communicating with Danny Nozell, his longtime friend and Parton’s manager, in a private setting in the texts, according to a court filing reviewed by Page Six on Tuesday.

In reference to past messages in which he spoke about his experience in the military and with weapons, Seaver said in the court filing that Nozell had previously suggested he publicize his work in dealing arms.

Seaver said in the court filing that when he vowed to ‘destroy Dolly’s brand partnerships,’ he was speaking about business maneuvers and not actual acts of violence.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Bryan Seaver and Danny Nozell for comment.

In the court filing, Seaver admitted to cursing in the messages, which had been sent around the time Parton had died August 25.

Seaver said in the court filing that part of the conflict centered around an outstanding $251,000 payment that has since been settled to his company Squadron Augmented Protection Services, over services that were provided at properties the late entertainment icon owned.

In the court filing, Seaver said he was upset about numerous problems linked to the SongTeller Hotel in Nashville, ranging from safety infractions to delayed construction to guards he accused of sleeping and using marijuana while working.

Seaver said in the court filing that Parton had been supportive of his ‘pressing’ of Herschend Family Entertainment, the operators of the SongTeller Hotel and Dollywood, over the aforementioned problems.

Seaver added in the court filing a letter Parton penned on November 11, 2024, calling his organization ‘very professional, very discreet, and very good at what they do’, according to the outlet.

Parton, in the letter included in the filing, said that Seaver had long led her security team, and wanted him to meet with the managers of the establishments prior to committing to a security firm.

Seaver said in the court filing that he and Nozell had sent one another friendlier texts after the ones previously called threatening in legal docs in the case.

Nozell and Seaver, who announced Parton’s passing in a clip in August, had talked about the possibility of Seaver appearing on The Joe Rogan Experience for an interview, Seaver said in his legal filing.

Seaver denied to the court, in his filing, accusations that his correspondence had led to an estate attorney quitting their position with the trust.

He claimed that Nozell on September 10 had informed him that two estate attorneys had left their positions, as the bank had been ‘taking everything over.’

The latest news on the filing comes as She’s Alive LLC, which Nozell is in charge of, accused Seaver of making threats involving violence and business sabotage, leading them to seek the restraining order claiming his actions had negatively impacted the business and people involved.

Seaver said in the court filing that the terms of the restraining order have too far a reach, in some cases barring him 1,000 feet from family members who work with She’s Alive.

He told the court in his filing that the ongoing business dispute has attracted unwanted attention from reporters who have shown up at his home and initiated contact with his relatives, including the 96-year-old grandmother of his wife.

At one point, Seaver claimed in his filing that his son, 17, had put barbed wire near the entrance to the family home to ward off unwanted visitors, according to the outlet.

Seaver said in the court filing that a magnetized camera was recovered from the area near his home, but it was unclear where it came from.

Seaver in his filing requested the court decline requests from She’s Alive’s to grant an extension on the temporary restraining order, the outlet reported.

The case is due back in court on October 20.

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