Judge grants restraining order against Dolly Parton’s nephew after ex-manager’s firm alleges threats

A Nashville judge has granted a restraining order against Dolly Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, following a petition from Danny Nozell, according to reporting attributed to the Tennessean. Nozell was selected to run She’s Alive LLC, a company created to oversee Parton’s professional trust. Davidson County Chancellor I’Ashea Myles ordered Seaver to stay 1,000 feet from any employee of She’s Alive and to cease all communication with anyone tied to the company, per the outlet.

The underlying lawsuit alleges extortion, coercion and threats that led to employees resigning, refusing to come into the office or requiring personal security. The filing sought a restraining order, which Chancellor Myles granted. Seaver operates Squardro Augmented Protection Services, LLC and was previously identified as the family member who announced Parton’s death in a social media video, according to the report.

Variety was first to publish text messages described in the court filing. In those messages, Seaver allegedly portrayed himself as a threat, including language such as, “I’m not an entertainment person. I’m a killer,” and additional claims about his professional background. Other messages described in the filing warned of a potential podcast “dedicated to ruining Dolly’s brand partnerships” if he was not paid, and included the line, “Her money better be bigger than I can make elsewhere or I’m going to f–k everyone.”

In response, Seaver told TMZ that nothing in the lawsuit constituted a threat, characterizing his words as “rage talk” during an emotional conversation with Nozell. “I was talking frankly in a private way with Danny, who I thought was my friend, and he fancies himself a gangster,” he said. The order matters for country fans because it concerns workplace safety and operational stability around Parton’s professional trust—an entity that underpins her business interests and brand partnerships—while a court evaluates the allegations.

Source: Taste of Country