Dolly Parton’s nephew Bryan Seaver denies threats, calls restraining order a ‘publicity stunt’
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Bryan Seaver, Dolly Parton’s nephew and longtime head of security, has denied allegations that he threatened representatives of the late singer’s estate.
Seaver, who was recently dismissed from his position, called the restraining order against him “spurious and simply a publicity stunt.”
He also disputed claims made by Parton’s entertainment attorney regarding statements he allegedly made.
Bryan Seaver challenges Dolly Parton restraining order
Seaver, the son of Dolly Parton’s sister Cassie, served as the singer’s head of security for two decades before being dismissed from his position.
He said the move came after Parton’s estate negotiated a deal with him and his companies to provide security services.
“I was fired,” Seaver told ABC News in a statement, adding, “After the estate negotiated with me and my company for services in perpetuity and agreed to that service provision from my company. A week later, they fired me for these contrived ‘threats.’”
Seaver also criticized the temporary restraining order filed against him, describing it as “spurious and simply a publicity stunt.”
In his legal motion for a TRO, Danny Nozell claimed that Seaver “threatened that ‘everyone needs to be worried about what I might do.’”
Nozell also alleged that Seaver told Parton’s entertainment attorney, “I’m not an entertainment person. I’m a killer.”
Seaver disputed the characterization of those remarks, saying that Parton had previously referred to him as “her killer” as an affectionate joke used among her team.
“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.’”
Dolly Parton’s nephew recalls announcing her death
Seaver was also the family member who announced Parton’s death on August 25. The 'Jolene' singer died at the age of 80 from cancer, with Seaver sharing the news in a video posted to her official accounts.
In the video, Seaver recalled the significance of making the announcement after having served as Parton’s head of security for more than two decades.
He said the role had previously been held by his father, Larry.
“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” Seaver said in the clip.
He continued, “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. It is an honor, an honor mixed with absolute pride and great sadness.”
Seaver’s statement came as he continued to deny the allegations surrounding his dismissal and the restraining order.
He maintained that the comments cited in the legal motion had been taken out of context and rejected the claim that he had threatened representatives of Parton’s estate.
