Dolly Parton’s estate alleges nephew used barbed wire and caution tape to avoid being summoned

Barbed wire, yellow caution tape and “no trespassing” signs. Attorneys for the estate of Dolly Parton claim that Bryan Seaver, the late country music icon’s nephew, used these items to barricade his property in an attempt to avoid being served with a lawsuit accusing him of threatening to destroy Parton’s legacy. The revelation came to light on Monday in court filings in which lawyers for the estate included images showing a “no trespassing” sign in Seaver’s front yard, and barbed wire and yellow caution tape wrapping the handrails leading to his front door. The photos were part of a court filing urging the judge overseeing the case to deny Seaver’s request for additional time to retain an attorney ahead of a temporary injunction hearing set for Friday. The legal ordeal between Seaver and She’s Alive, the entity in charge of managing and protecting Parton’s professional property and business, began two weeks ago, when the estate filed a civil complaint against the nephew. Seaver is the person the late star had handpicked to announce her death from cancer. She’s Alive, which is led by Parton’s longtime manager Danny Nozell, accused Seaver of waging a successful “campaign of threats” against its employees and business partners — causing many of them to quit their jobs, according to the complaint. The complaint included text messages and emails from Seaver. In one message he threatens to “set up a podcast dedicated to ruining Dolly’s brand partnerships and telling the violations these people have done on us. It’s going to be great. Or f------ pay me.” She’s Alive also claimed it was forced to hire private security for its remaining personnel, including at their homes, as a result of the threats. Court records state Seaver used to work for private military contractors before providing security services for Parton and her properties through his company, Squadron Augmented Protection Services. Court records still do not list an attorney for Seaver. On Tuesday, he did not respond to an email seeking comment. Seaver said in a recent text to The New York Times that his messages were twisted, writing, “This is a contrived out-of-context explanation of how this went down and it is being done in an effort to solidify me as some sort of opposition to her brand in her legacy.” She’s Alive removed Seaver from his security role about a week before filing its lawsuit, saying his “terrorizing conduct made their continued retention untenable.” Seaver was eventually served via email after She’s Alive unsuccessfully “tried to serve the summons, Verified Complaint, and injunction paper on Mr. Seaver on three occasions,” according to court records. Chancellor I’Ashea L. Myles, the judge overseeing the case, granted a temporary restraining order on Sept. 22 after reviewing text messages from Seaver that directed harmful threats “toward identifiable existing business relationships rather than merely expressing generalized dissatisfaction,” according to her ruling. Seaver also boasted about “his access to weapons, experience with violence, and intention to retaliate against persons whom he perceived to have acted against his family,” the ruling stated. The temporary restraining order intends to stop Seaver from talking with or being within 1,000 feet of any She’s Alive employees, attorneys and business partners. It is also meant to keep him from interfering with estate’s business relationships. The legal battle has gained national attention over the past few weeks after it offered initial signs of discord in a carefully managed estate process for one of the nation’s most beloved artists. Parton, who died Aug. 25, was a country music giant, philanthropist and cultural icon. She distinguished herself by writing hundreds of songs — including timeless hits like “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors” and “I Will Always Love You,” which earned over 100 million worldwide sales and more than 1 billion online streams.