Dolly Parton Estate Manager Withdraws Suit Against Nephew
The legal dispute over the late singer's security team is paused as the manager moves to dismiss the case without prejudice.
By Priya Marino ·
Legal conflicts within the estate of the late country music icon have entered a new phase as the primary manager seeks to close a contentious lawsuit filed this fall.
Danny Nozell, who leads the management entity She’s Alive, filed a brief motion in a Tennessee court on Thursday to drop his complaint against Bryan Seaver and Seaver’s firm, Squadron Augmented Protection Services. The filing requests that the case be dismissed without prejudice, a legal term that allows the claim to be refiled in the future if needed. The motion did not provide a specific reason for the withdrawal, though a court document filed the previous day stated that the two sides had reached an agreement. That earlier filing also offered no further details about the terms of the deal.
The dispute began in early September when She’s Alive terminated Seaver and his security company. The following week, Nozell petitioned for a temporary restraining order, arguing that Seaver’s conduct made it impossible to keep him in the role. The petition alleged that Seaver threatened the company’s staff, lawyers, and business partners. It noted that Seaver wrote he intended to destroy the entire brand and called himself an international arms dealer and mercenary. Nozell stated that Seaver told everyone to worry about what he might do. Chancellor I’Ashea L. Myles granted the temporary order, citing Seaver’s claimed access to weapons and his stated intention to retaliate.
Seaver, who served as Parton’s head of security, has disputed the characterization of his actions. In court documents, he described Nozell as a close friend and ally before the restraining order was issued. He argued that the text messages cited as evidence were part of a private conversation between two people who were frustrated and grieving. Seaver stated in an affidavit that he never threatened physical harm to Nozell, any employee, contractor, attorney, advisor, or business partner associated with She’s Alive. He added that he has no intention of doing so.
The initial public hearing on the matter had been scheduled for Tuesday, after being postponed several times over the previous month. The Associated Press sent emails on Thursday seeking comment from lawyers representing She’s Alive, Seaver, and his company. The lawsuit had exposed tensions in the inner circle of Parton’s estate that became public in the weeks following her death on August 25.
