Dolly Parton’s nephew Bryan Seaver is doubling down on his denial of allegations that he threatened people connected to his late aunt’s estate.
Seaver, who served as Parton’s head of security for more than two decades, was sued by She’s Alive, LLC. on Sept. 22. The company, which Parton created to protect her professional property and business interests, accused Seaver of attempting to obtain money from the country music legend’s estate through an alleged campaign of threats.
Seaver has denied the allegations and said statements cited in the court filings were taken out of context. He also confirmed that he was fired from his security position earlier in September.
“I’ve never threatened anyone,” Seaver told ABC News. “They are my friends and my brothers and colleagues.”
He also dismissed the temporary restraining order issued against him.
“[The temporary restraining order is] spurious and simply a publicity stunt,” Seaver told ABC News.
Bryan Seaver Says His Comments Were Taken Out of Context
According to Tennessee court documents obtained by People, She’s Alive, LLC. alleged that Seaver “sought to extract money from SAL and Dolly Parton’s trusts through an obscene, deliberate and escalating campaign of threats.”
The filing also alleged that Seaver intended “to cause fear and chaos to extort money for his personal gain” during conversations with Parton’s longtime manager, Danny Nozell.
Among the statements included in the filing was one in which Seaver allegedly called himself a “killer.”
Seaver told ABC News that the comment was a reference to a longtime joke between him and Parton, not a threat against Nozell or anyone else.
“Dolly called me her killer. It was a joke we used around her camp,” Seaver said. “I was her ‘baby boy ninja’ and Danny Nozell took that text out of context to somehow imagine that I was threatening him. He’s always called me The Killer.”
Seaver also described the allegations surrounding his firing as “contrived threats.”
Dolly Parton’s Estate Details Alleged Messages From Bryan Seaver
The court filing includes several other statements allegedly made by Seaver.
In one message to Nozell, Seaver allegedly said, “I am vengeance for my people for the next 50 years. I have no debt. I only own swords and guns. My children have 3 houses to live in forever. My wife owns everything. All I have is animosity and memory. But I’m going to spend the next time I have on earth ratf—-ing anyone that has ever betrayed my family.”
The filing described the comment as a “threat of continuing retaliation.”
In a separate Sept. 3 email to an entertainment attorney who had worked with Parton, Seaver allegedly claimed he had sold $27 million worth of ammunition and weapons to Haitian police on Aug. 25.
“I’m literally an international arms dealer and mercenary,” he allegedly wrote.
Court documents also allege that Seaver described himself as Parton’s “favorite child amongst us” in an email sent that same day.
The filing further claims that Parton’s trusts and estates attorney resigned after Seaver allegedly made “harassing and ominous threats” toward her. Other employees allegedly resigned or stopped going into the office because they feared for their safety.
Seaver has maintained that he did not threaten his former colleagues.
Dolly Parton’s Sister Defends Bryan Seaver Amid Estate Dispute
Parton’s sister Freida Parton spoke out on Facebook on Sept. 23 and defended Seaver while disputing the idea that the legal fight represents a larger family feud.
“No one among the Parton/Owens family is fighting over Dolly’s estate,” Freida wrote. “We all love Bryan, just as we all love each other.”
She also stated that there “is no feud within our family.”
Seaver had a close working relationship with Parton before her Aug. 25 passing. Parton personally chose him to announce the news to the public.
“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” Seaver said in the announcement. “As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now.”
