Dolly Parton's Nephew Breaks Silence After Late Legend's Estate Drops Lawsuit Against Him

Dolly Parton 's estate has dropped the lawsuit against her nephew, Bryan Seaver.

The late legend's estate filed a lawsuit against Seaver and his security company in September via She's Alive, LLC (SAL), a business entity created by Parton to protect her legacy, which is operated by her longtime manager, Danny Nozell. Rolling Stone was among the first news outlets to report that Nozell filed a notice of voluntary dismissal to drop the suit against Seaver. He reportedly filed to dismiss the claims without prejudice, which closes the case for now; however, it means he could refile the claims in the future.

"Mr. Seaver cares deeply about his Aunt Dolly, her music, her family, and the incredible legacy she left behind," Seaver's attorney, Nick Leonardo, said in a statement to TMZ on behalf of his client. "He has made a career out of protecting his aunt while she was alive and remains committed to Dolly and his entire family. Mr. Seaver is grateful to put this misunderstanding behind him so that the entire family can continue to grieve peacefully and ensure that the bright light of Dolly's legacy remains entirely untouched."

Seaver, who served as Parton's longtime head of security, received a termination notice on September 16. The notice stated that his interest in DP Dean Trust would remain intact; however, it dismissed him from a role he'd held for about two decades. Days later, Parton's estate filed a lawsuit against against Seaver, alleging that Seaver "began his campaign of threats, intimidation, and coercion a few weeks prior to Ms. Parton's passing," reportedly prompting some employees to resign. A judge granted She's Alive LLC a temporary restraining order against Seaver.

Seaver repeatedly denied the allegations against him. He said he "never threatened anyone," and told ABC News in a statement that "the restraining order is spurious and simply a publicity stunt." Leonardo previously said in a statement, "Mr. Seaver has always been a private person, but he was chosen by his aunt, with his family's approval, to make the announcement about Dolly's passing. He would have preferred to remain a private person, as this ordeal has taken a toll on his family. This legal dispute arose between Mr. Seaver, a family member who was also in charge of Dolly's private security, and a business manager. While the family was grieving, the business manager went to court and the media with a surprising and incomplete story. Seeing text messages that are misleading and taken out of context has been very hurtful to our client and his family. The restraining order was granted ex parte, without the benefit of the court hearing Mr. Seaver's side of the story, which is coming. While Mr. Seaver and his family work through this, they trust that the bright light of Dolly's legacy remains untouched, and they are eager to amicably and expeditiously resolve this matter."

Seaver and his attorneys responded to an extension of the restraining order in court filings obtained by PEOPLE. Seaver stated in the documents last month, "The breadth of the requested restrictions also affects my family relationships. My mother, my sister, my aunts, and my cousins have employment or other connections to Ms. Parton's businesses or estate… A restriction extending to everyone who 'has or may have' a business relationship with SAL could reach ordinary communications with close family members. ..I care about Ms. Parton, her music, her legacy, and her family. I do not want this dispute to harm her legacy."

Parton's estate has not publicly addressed the decision to dismiss the lawsuit as of publication time on Friday morning (November 6).

Parton's niece and Seaver's sister, Rebecca Seaver, was reportedly fired from her role as the director of Parton's new museum in Nashville, Tennessee. Rebecca has not publicly responded to reports of her termination as of publication time. Seaver posted on Facebook, according to TMZ, "I am very proud of my sister Rebecca Seaver and her endeavors building Dolly's archive and museum, and my cousin Danielle Parton[recently named Brand Ambassador by Parton's estate] is my closest family and my buddy. We are nearest in age and have always been pals. I have always and will forever sing her praises and support her as she goes about her journey and career. Both of these women are dynamos in their fields and there is no feud between us. I love them both with all my heart."

Parton "died peacefully" on August 25 in Nashville, Tennessee, according to an official announcement issued at that time (along with Seaver's announcement with a message from the family). She was 80. Parton's representatives later said in a statement to PEOPLE that day, "after bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones." Parton was laid to rest in a private service for immediate family beside her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, who died in March 2025. He was 82.