Dolly Parton Estate Accuses Nephew of Evading Lawsuit With Barbed Wire, No-Trespassing Sign
The estate of Dolly Parton has accused her nephew, Bryan Seaver, of attempting to evade a lawsuit by allegedly making his home difficult for a process server to access.
The claim was made in a new court filing submitted Monday in Davidson County Chancery Court in Nashville, as a legal dispute between Seaver and the company overseeing Parton’s business interests continues.
Seaver, who previously worked as Parton’s longtime head of security, is being sued by She’s Alive LLC over allegations that he threatened and attempted to extort the late singer’s estate. Seaver has denied the allegations.
According to the latest filing, a process server made three attempts to deliver legal documents to Seaver but was unsuccessful.
The estate claims the process server observed a “no-trespassing sign in the front yard and barbed wire draped across the handrails leading to the front door.”
The filing further alleges that Seaver was attempting to avoid being formally served with the lawsuit.
“Mr. Seaver attempted to evade service of process, and this Court should not reward that behavior,” the estate stated in its filing.
The estate also claimed that Seaver had indicated he would retain an attorney but had not taken steps to do so.
Legal battle over the estate of Dolly Parton escalates
The latest filing comes weeks after Parton’s estate obtained a temporary restraining order against Seaver and his security company.
Seaver is a member of Parton’s family and was the relative who publicly announced her death in a video shared on her social media accounts.
On Sept. 23, a Tennessee judge ruled that Seaver and his company presented a “present and continuing disruption and threat” to She’s Alive.
According to ABC, Seaver has maintained that the allegations against him are unfounded. He previously said he was dismissed from his position as Parton’s head of security because of what he described as “contrived threats.”
“I was fired. 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 said in a Sept. 23 statement to ABC News.
When contacted by email Tuesday, Seaver told ABC News that the temporary restraining order prevents him from publicly discussing the case.
A representative for Parton’s estate did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In the latest court filing, the estate is also asking the judge to convert the temporary restraining order against Seaver and his company into a temporary injunction.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Oct. 9.
Dolly Parton’s multimillion-dollar estate
Parton, who built a hugely successful career in music while also establishing herself as a prominent entrepreneur, left behind a multimillion-dollar estate.
Her business interests include Dollywood, the popular amusement park in Tennessee.
Parton was married to Carl Dean for nearly 60 years before his death last year. The couple did not have children.
